Fireworks
by sonkayura
Summary: After the tragic death of her twin sister and brother-in-law, New York magazine editor Mariah Moyers inherits more then she can handle. With a five year old niece to raise and a change of career as a result, is relocation really the best option?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello everyone. First off, thanks for clicking on this and welcome! Before you start reading this story, I have a few warnings I want to get out of the way.

Number one, this is purely a product of my own boredom. I'm writing it primarily for my own entertainment and decided that maybe it'd be fun to put it up here and see if anyone else wants to read it. I'm not out to offend anybody, let's be friends, love is love blah blah blah all that good stuff.

Secondly, there ARE original charaters, all of which are owned by me. If you've got a huge problem with OC's then I don't recommend you read this story. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. I don't want to recieve any email or review complaining about the presence of OC's...but you can complain about whatever else suits you. I'm not going to be unrealistic and scream "No Flames!" when I know that it's emminent. So it's whatever. Just don't bitch about the OC's because you already know they're there m'kay?

Thirdly, this story is rated "T" because yes, there will be language. I won't be putting sex or anything of that nature in here, if anything it may be implied, but nothing graphic. If you're looking for porn, is right around the corner. And finally, I'm a busy girl. I have two jobs, go to school full-time, and I tend to write somewhat lengthy chapters. In fact, this first chapter is probably the shortest one you'll see during the duration of this fic. Basically there may not be constant regular updates which I apologize ahead of time for, it's just the way life goes. So please don't constantly bug me to update if it's been a while. I promise should I decide to continue this fic, I'll let you know if I decide to discontinue it indefinitely.

So I think that's about it. Reviews are welcome, flames are welcome, questions are welcome, suggestions are welcome to an extent. This is of course a story revolving around the "Casper" universe, but it's not in conjunction with the movie, the cartoons, or anything previously released. Really, I'm just borrowing the characters and locations. And of course I don't own any of the cannon Casper characters, names, settings, etc. With that being said, if you choose to stay after my little schpeel, here is the first chapter of the story. Enjoy!

XX

**Chapter 1**

September 12, 1995

"With that being said Mariah, all we need now is your 'yes or no.' I think I've made it clear that this is by far the best way to get our readers' attention for our September issue and I hope you agree. "

_Yeah, you've said that about fifteen times buddy. Repeat it again and I'll REALLY tell you what I think._

Mariah Moyers, editor and chief of _Indulge _magazine, uncrossed her legs and tapped her pen impatiently on the photos spread in front of her. This particular meeting had gone on for much too long as far as she was concerned and it was getting quite repetitious. For three hours now, she and eleven colleagues had been agonizing over whether Julia Roberts should wear red or orange on the cover of their next issue. It had become so redundant that Mariah felt she had already mentally checked out.

She loved a good argument as much as the next business exec, but once it got to this point; it was time to pull the plug.

_The only problem is, I have no idea how. I'm so distracted right now, what time is it again?_

Mariah glanced up at the clock, noting that their three hours had now turned into four. Her eyes then traveled back to the photos in front her, all of them showing different models in different outfits, all shades of red and orange. Mariah sighed, once again shifting her weight in her seat. She thought it was all very cliché and much too literal, considering this was a Fall issue and they were using such basic, traditional Fall colors. In the end, it would definitely work and Julia could wear almost anything and still look good…

Mariah shook her head and looked up. Eleven pairs of eyes stared back at her, all waiting for her go ahead. This was something she was used to, being the boss and all, but it was never something she fully understood. The room always got so quiet when it came to her final decision. It was like they were waiting for someone's death sentence to be given, or waiting next to the Clearblue Easy to find out if you were pregnant or not. When it came right down to it, it really wasn't that big of a decision. _Indulge _had been in print for over twenty years. They had never really had any trouble selling issues. In fact, they had done better on last year's charts then both _Elle_ and _Vanity Fair._ So why this was such a monumental decision, she didn't know.

Mariah sighed. Maybe she was thinking this way because she hadn't been editor and chief for very long. She had only had the job for a little over six months and was still learning the ropes. Even getting the job itself had been a surprise. She had always been a favorite of her former boss, the previous editor and chief, Larissa Clayborne. Of course Mariah had initially started at _Indulge_ with those kinds of intentions. If there was one thing she was good at, it was ass-kissing. She did it and she did it well. All it took was four and a half years of that and bam! Larissa retires, and it's a jump from a five-figure salary to six, a state-of-the-art New York penthouse, fully paid for by the magazine, all the perks of being a boss, and of course the title itself. It had been Mariah's dream come true and she had taken the opportunity and run with it.

Of course with that job came responsibility, the main one which was decision-making for everyone else. It was her word that was put into _Indulge_ every month and she could sure put out an issue. Her twin sister Marlene had always told Mariah she was the one that was meant to be in charge because she wasn't afraid of responsibility or even failure. Mariah couldn't have agreed with her more. But today was just a little different. She couldn't focus and it was frustrating. Mariah cleared her throat, sifting through the photos for what felt like the hundredth time, when Marci, her new assistant, poked her head in the door. Of course, all of the eyes shifted from Mariah to Marci which really she was grateful for. Because as far as she was concerned, none of the outfits in any of these photos were going to work and that was sure to cause an uproar that she really didn't want to mediate at the moment. Marci cleared her throat nervously and stepped into the room.

"Excuse me Mariah? I'm so sorry to interrupt but there's a phone call for you in your office."

Immediately, Mariah felt her temper flare. Potential uproar or not, Marci knew better then to interrupt an executive meeting with a phone call. Raising her eyebrows Mariah put the photos down and crossed her fingers, resting her elbows on top of the mahogany conference table.

"Marci, what did I tell you before this meeting? Take messages and I'll return them once I get out." Marci paled, looking like she may faint. Mariah really hoped she didn't. The last girl that fainted ended up falling into $100,000 vase and breaking it. Nervously wringing her hands, Marci spoke once again.

"I'm sorry Mariah but it's very important. I was told that you need to take this call, right now. I argued on the phone with this guy for ten minutes and he's insisting he talk to you."

Sighing, Mariah pushed her chair back and got up, walking around the table and briskly out the door. Marci followed, almost jogging to keep up with her boss.

"I told him you were in a very important meeting and that you couldn't be bothered and he still insisted. He wouldn't tell me why, said it was private business and…" Before Marci could finish her sentence, Mariah shut the door to her office, leaving her assistant very shaken and nervous outside.

Once inside her office, Mariah sat down at her desk and looked at the phone. She recognized the area code on the caller ID but not the number.

"This had better be really really important…" Mariah mumbled to herself, picking up the receiver and pressing line 1.

"This is Mariah Moyers."

"Miss Moyers. I'm sorry to bother you, your assistant told me you're very busy but I'm afraid I have some…bad news."

Mariah stiffened, leaning forward at her desk.

"What kind of bad news?"

The man on the other line cleared his throat.

"My name is James Petersen and I'm a sheriff in Grantville, Kansas. I understand you're the sister of Marlene Holmes, correct?"

Mariah began to feel slightly light headed as she sat back in her desk chair, nervously twisting the phone cord around her wrist. Something had happened to Marlene?

"Yes I am. Why, what…what happened?"

Silence on the other end. Mariah ran a hand through her hair and tried to control her breathing. She felt as if she may hyperventilate.

"Well…Miss Moyers, your sister and her family were in an accident this morning. We're not sure of the details yet, but you're going to need to come to Great Bend as soon as possible to…"

"Wait wait wait, I'm sorry what?" Mariah couldn't believe what she was hearing. "My sister has been in an accident, well is she alright? I mean what's…?"

"Miss Moyers, your mother asked me to call you so that you could get down here as soon as possible. If you would just calm down…."

Mariah stood up, tears already threatening to seep through her eyes. "Calm down? No I don't want to calm down; I want to know if my sister is alright! Is she alright?"

"Miss Moyers… I'm sorry."

Clutching the receiver, Mariah sat in silence, trying to take all of this in. Marlene was gone? No, there was no way. They had just spoken two days ago, talking about plans for Christmas and when they were going to get together to do their shopping, and who was married to who, and what their crazy uncle was in jail for and…there was just no way!

"Miss Moyers, are you still there?"

Shaken out of her thoughts, Mariah straightened up a bit in her chair. This was some kind of joke. Marlene was always like that. She'd yell at her later. Chuckling a bit, Mariah smiled.

"You must be mistaken," she told the sheriff, "My sister is just fine. She's always pulling pranks and I'm sorry, but this one is a bit low, don't you think? I mean, who are you really? Is this Blake? Blake, you tell my sister, AKA your wife that this is not funny and I don't appreciate it and there is such a thing as a limit…" By now, the tears had begun to flow freely as Mariah put her head in her hands, her chest threatening to burst from sheer agony.

"Miss Moyers…"

"My god, Marlene…" The tears had turned into sobs by now, uncontrollable shaking sobs that made it hard for Mariah to breathe. Her sister, her twin, the one whom she'd shared her entire life with, gone. In a flash. What had happened? HOW could this have happened? Marlene had always been the careful one. As far back as Mariah could remember, Marlene had always been the voice of reason, the one who looked out for herself and others before her. Even as children, she had kept Mariah out of trouble countless times. She had always been the practical one, the sensible one; the one who was able to pull Mariah back to reality when things really got out of hand. She'd be last person Mariah would expect to die in a fatal car accident.

A million things went through Mariah's head those few minutes of silence on the phone. Why had she moved away to New York? Why had she been so eager to get away from home, from the life she knew…from her sister? So much wasted time avoiding phone calls, deciding not to fly back home for whatever reason, being too busy to answer an email or a Facebook comment, so wrapped up in her own silly life that she'd forgotten about everybody else. The tremendous amount of guilt she felt was overwhelming, not just because of those reasons. Mariah had been jealous of Marlene her entire life. It's true, Marlene was "the good twin", the one her parents favored the most…and Mariah had spent the better part of her childhood hating her for it. And it wasn't until now, knowing that she would never get to speak to her sister again, did she realize that she had been blaming the wrong person. It wasn't Marlene's fault they hadn't been together, it was hers. For every minute Mariah had spent hating Marlene, Marlene had spent loving her just as much. Knowing that she could now never let her sister know how sorry she was and how she truly felt was not something Mariah was prepared to deal with.

After a few moments, there was a rustling on the other end of the line.

"Miss Moyers, I'm so sorry. I know that this is a shock and I can't imagine how you must feel. Your mother told me that if you needed me to wire you a plane ticket…"

Mariah cut him off.

"No no, that won't be necessary. I've got plenty of money, I don't need her help. Tell them I'll be there first thing tomorrow morning. But first, please tell me that my brother-in-law and my niece survived at least. I need to hear that much…"

Once again, a pause, then a deep breath. Mariah's stomach clenched, preparing her for the worst.

"Your niece is currently in the hospital in critical condition. The seatbelt she had on saved her life, but she's got a head injury and a broken collarbone. I don't know the details of her exact state yet, but she's alive. Your brother-in-law however…he didn't make it either. I'm so sorry."

Mariah closed her eyes slowly. Marlene and Blake, both gone. The only survivor was Cera, her six-year-old niece and they weren't even sure of her condition, but it sounded dire. Mariah opened her eyes once again, willing herself to respond to the sheriff on the phone.

"I'll be on the first flight out tomorrow morning. Please let my family know. And as soon as you know the exact details of the accident, I want to be the first to hear about it." She could almost hear the sheriff nodding over the phone.

"Of course Miss Moyers. And once again, I'm so very sorry for your loss."

Without responding, Mariah set the phone down and stared around her office in silence. She couldn't move, she could barely even breathe. All she could think about was Marlene. And Blake. And poor little Cera, now without either of her parents. What was she supposed to do now, call everyone she knew? Spread the word? '_Hey my sister is dead! How are you today?" _Yeah, that's a great conversation starter. No, she had to get herself a plane ticket and get back to Grantsville. Never mind the fact that she hadn't spoken to her mother in almost a year, that her dad thought her the biggest disappointment since having to work on Sundays. Sure, Marlene may have been their daughter, but she had also been Mariah's sister and the only member of the family that had ever cherished her or been proud of her for her accomplishments. Marlene was gone, her daughter was alive, and Mariah was going to make sure everything would be alright for Cera. She felt that she owed Marlene that much.

Feeling as if she were on auto-pilot, Mariah picked up her phone once again and hit the "two" button, that which would connect her to Marci's desk.

"Marci?"

"Yes Mariah?"

"I need you to book me a plane ticket to KCNA. Right away, I need the first flight out tomorrow. First class, coach, or business, it doesn't matter. Earliest flight possible, book it. Charge it to my American Express. Then, I need you to set me up a hotel room at the Grantsville Marriot. When they ask how long I'm staying, just tell them a week. I'll extend it if I need to. Last thing, please arrange for a car to pick me up from my apartment and drive me to New York International tomorrow. I don't want to wait for a cab. You can charge the hotel and the car to my Capital One."

"Okay. Is everything alright?"

Mariah paused, thinking for a moment. _Is everything alright. _It was such a standard question and one Mariah usually had no trouble answering. Today she couldn't find the words, though the answer was obvious. She paused for a moment, and then chocked back a sob, one that had snuck up on her like a blast of cold air.

"No Marci, it's not. But thank you very much for asking."

XX

KCNA was just as crowded as NYI…but a lot smaller. Mariah sighed, entering the terminal after an almost five hour flight from New York to Kansas. Wall-to-wall people lined the room, pushing this way and that, trying to get to baggage claim, hugging family members and friends, doing head-counts, making sure they had all of their stuff etc. Mariah frowned and shifted her carry-on to her left shoulder, trying to properly adjust to her surroundings. She was used to crowds, but this was a little much in such a confined space. Hell, Grand Central Station was easy compared to this.

Clearing her throat in exasperation, she looked down to check her watch. It was just slightly after 9:30 in the morning and thankfully she had arrived on schedule. Marci had managed to get Mariah a flight leaving New York at 5am, though it was a coach seat which Mariah wasn't initially thrilled about. She hadn't flown coach since she had moved to New York and that had been almost six years ago! She had survived, though not without a bit of heartache. Unfortunately, she had been stuck next to a very fat, very sweaty, very talkative former insurance salesman who couldn't seem to take the social cue that Mariah really wasn't interested in idle chitchat so early in the morning. Not to mention, he had coughed and hacked all over her the whole time! The seats had also been terribly uncomfortable, so in addition to initial annoyance, her back was killing her. What a great start to a great trip under great circumstances. Mariah rolled her eyes and looked around. She had to stop standing and get moving if she was to be at the drop off station on time. Her longtime friend Beverly had arranged to pick her up at 9:45 and then drive her to her parent's house and Mariah didn't want to keep her waiting.

Channeling her New Yorker skills, Mariah began to push through the mass, looking up at the overhead signs to find the baggage claim. Upon locating the sign and direction in which she was to go, she began to make her way down the crowded halls of the terminal. As she walked, she noticed that people were a lot friendlier here then she was used to in New York. Like most airports, she was constantly being pushed and shoved, but the difference was people said "excuse me" or "I'm sorry." Of course Mariah made no response, but continued moving through the crowd, making a mental note to attempt to be more polite in public while she was here at least.

After finally reaching the baggage claim and waiting an agonizing fifteen minutes next to a large group of small, screaming children with one very exhausted looking mother, Mariah was finally able to obtain her three bags and once again began to push through the crowd towards the exit.

Bright sunlight struck her eyes as she walked through the revolving doors to the drop off/pick up curbside. Setting down her bags, she looked up and down the drive, hoping to spot Beverly's car or Beverly at least since Mariah had no idea what her friend would be driving. Seeing nobody that resembled her, Mariah set down her bags and took her carry-on off of her shoulder, unzipping it.

"Two minutes here and I'm already sick of the sun…"Mariah mumbled to herself as she rummaged through her bag. Where were those damn sunglasses?

Before she could locate them, two abrupt honks caused Mariah to look up, her head snapping to attention almost immediately. Stopping in front of her was a white Jeep Liberty, its windows lightly tinted and rolled down. In the driver's seat was Beverly, looking almost exactly the same as she had the last time Mariah had seen her. Her red hair was pulled into a little ponytail at the back of her head, the same way she had always worn it, and she wore a long-sleeved t-shirt of baby pink. From what she could see, it also looked like her friend had lost some weight, especially in her face. Bev had always been husky, but now she seemed to carry it better then she had before. Then again, there was only so much you could tell through a window.

Mariah smiled as Beverly put the car in park and opened her door. Before Mariah could say anything, she was enveloped in a tight hug, one that she hadn't known she desperately needed until now. It seemed to be an instant tear-trigger as both women began to cry, holding each other on the curb side. Mariah hated the fact that she hadn't seen her friend in so long and now, these were the circumstances of their reunion. It all didn't seem fair and once again Mariah mentally punched herself for staying away so long. Not only had she missed Marlene, she had missed Bev as well. After a few moments, they pulled apart finally, Mariah looking teary-eyed into her friends face. Bev managed a weak smile through her own tears and put her hands on Mariah's shoulders.

"I'm so happy you're here Miah," Bev said, "I can't believe this is happening." Mariah managed to return her friend's smile, pulling away from her and reaching once again into her carry-on. Thankfully, she found her tissues without having to do much digging and handed one to Bev, while also dabbing her own eyes.

"I know, I can't either," Mariah replied, "I hasn't even fully sunken in." Bev nodded in agreement, though she said nothing. It was then that Mariah began to notice the line of cars piling up behind Bev's Jeep. How long had they been standing there? Somewhat coming back to herself, Mariah took Bev's hand and squeezed it.

"C'mon Bev, let's get out of these people's way and…"

"Oh jeeze, you're right. I'm sorry!" Bev seemed to snap out of her thoughts at that point too. Hurriedly, she reached past Mariah and grabbed two of her bags, picking them up and carrying them to the rear of the SUV. She popped the hatch and set the bags inside, Mariah next to her placing her bag and carry-on in as well. Once everything was secure, Bev closed the hatch and the two women got into the car.

"Seatbelts," Bev muttered as she fascined her own. Mariah couldn't help but smile. Even at times of great crisis, it was always safety first. Typical Bev. The car started and soon they were off, zooming down the drive port towards the interstate. For the first five minutes, they rode in silence, not even the radio was on. Mariah could feel that Bev was horribly upset and she reached out to take her friends hand. She almost regretted it, as this started another onslaught of tears. Mariah squeezed Bev's hand, doing what she could to comfort her friend while at the same time trying to maintain her own composure. She knew that Bev was probably having almost as hard a time as she was. Bev had been Marlene's best friend since they were children and the two had been as close as can be without being blood-related. They had done almost everything together, and Bev had been there for Marlene when Mariah had not. And with the two of them being identical twins, it was probably even harder for Bev to see Mariah. At this thought, Mariah immediately thought of her parents. If this was the kind of reaction she was getting from Bev, what kind of reaction should she expect from her mother, who hated her but loved Marlene? Or her father who had wanted Mariah to be just as perfect as her now dead twin sister? These thoughts were interrupted as a raking sob from Bev startled her out of them. Mariah looked over at her friend, who was crying so hard Mariah was sure there was no way Bev could see the road. Leaning over slightly, Mariah tried to muster her calmest tone.

"Bev, do you need me to drive?" Sniffing loudly, Bev shook her head, letting go of Mariah's hand putting both hands on the wheel.

"No Miah, I'm fine. Marley was your sister; I need to be strong for you. I feel so stupid right now that you're the one trying to calm me down when I…" Mariah shook her head.

"Don't say that. Just because she was my sister doesn't mean I loved her any more than you did. I'll drive if you need me to, really." Mariah wished she would. That was all everyone needed, for the two of them to die in a car accident as well because Bev couldn't drive properly. What would her mother say then? _Well, since Mariah is gone, maybe God will give us back Marlene?_ Mariah shook her head, shoving that thought away. This was no time for that kind of thinking. She had to regain control, but Bev once again refused her offer.

"No really, I'm fine now. It just kind of hit me for a second. But I'll be okay till we get to your mom's." Mariah sat there for a moment, almost insisting once again that her friend pull over, but decided to let it rest. She seemed to be okay for now. Nodding, Mariah sat back in her seat, staring out the window at her surroundings. Rolling plains sped by as they made their way down the interstate, the sky blue and cloudless. The land went on for miles, stretching as far as the eye could see. She was feeling overwhelmingly nostalgic at this time and wasn't sure if she liked it. Seeing these surroundings reminded her of when she was a little girl. Her father, a former Marine who had served in Vietnam, had been a crop duster much of his life after retiring from the military. One of Mariah's most vivid and fond memories were of when he used to take her and Marlene with him when he worked. He would strap them into his little yellow duster plane (he had named it Stinger), and the three of them would fly to nearby farms, dusting the crops and having lots of laughs. Things were so good back then between Mariah and her parents. Things hadn't taken a turn for the worse until after she and Marlene were in middle school, but that wasn't something Mariah wanted to ponder at this moment.

Marlene…

Thoughts of her sister through the years flooded Mariah's memories as she recalled several special times they had had together. The summer when she, Marlene, Bev, and their other friend Kesha had hitchhiked all the way to Hartsville and almost didn't make it home in time for dinner, their high school graduation where Marlene had been valedictorian, Marlene's wedding to Blake, her sweetheart since they were in elementary school, the birth of Marlene's daughter Cera, Mariah's college graduation where Marlene had been the only member of her family to show up, all smiles and so proud of her sister. Mariah once again felt the tears begin as she quickly tried to wipe them away, not wanting to upset Bev again. Out of nowhere, her friend spoke.

"Did you hear about what exactly happened? With the accident?" Mariah turned towards Bev and shook her head, once again quickly wiping her eyes.

"No. The police officer I talked to wouldn't give me many details over the phone," Mariah scoffed, "If I wouldn't have been freaking out already, I would've given him an earful. I mean, I'm in fucking New York and you're calling me about this in the middle of a work day. You could at least tell me what happened you know?" Bev nodded.

"Well, they weren't sure of the exact details till this morning but…"she swallowed, "they were able to figure some things out from analyzing the scene as well the autopsy." Mariah cringed at the mention of that word. She didn't want to associate it with anyone in relation to her. But she wanted to know what had happened and if Bev knew something, Mariah was going to ask.

"What did they find out?"

Bev cleared her throat, decreasing her speed a bit on the road. Apparently she wanted to prolong the trip and Mariah was just fine with that. The longer it took to get to her parent's house, the better as far as she was concerned. Continuing to drive, Bev began to tell Mariah all that she knew about Marlene's accident.

"Well, apparently they were driving home from Blake's parent's house at around 4:30 in the afternoon. It's been super foggy here the last few days. Literally, today is the first sunny day we've had in a while…" Mariah nodded.

_How convenient. _"I know, I heard it's been all over the Midwest. Go on." Bev continued.

"And yesterday it was really bad Miah. Like, you couldn't see an inch in front of your face. It was a complete gray-out and they were closing interstates and highways and everything. Basically, they were advising people not to drive." Bev paused for a moment and then continued some more. "So they were getting onto a ramp to merge east and there was a huge semi stalled right at the end of it. Blake didn't see it in time because it was so foggy and…" Bev stopped altogether, hands gripping the steering wheel so tight Mariah could see her knuckles turning white. Choking on a sob, Bev said, "He t-boned it. Their entire car slid underneath his trailer. The truck driver didn't even realize what had hit him until he got out of the cab five minutes later! Mariah, they hit at almost 50 miles an hour! Marlene and Blake were both…" She didn't need to finish. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what had happened next. The impact had been so strong that both her sister and brother-in-law had been killed instantly, their necks breaking from the pressure. Mariah couldn't stop the tears this time as they silently began to seep out of her eyes and Bev wept openly, finally easing the car onto the shoulder of the road. For a few moments they both just sat there, hugging each other once again, mourning the loss of their beloved sister and friend. Bev then pulled away, reaching for a tissue that was sticking out of her purse. After blowing her nose, Bev continued.

"And Cera…they have no idea how she survived. In the end, they had to use the Jaws of Life to cut all three of them from the car! They're assuming it was because of the seat that she was in. They said if it wasn't for that seat…and Miah, she's in bad shape. She's in a medically induced coma because of her collarbone and her head. She had internal bleeding in her stomach that I know they managed to stop, but…" Mariah continued to listen, her heart beating so quickly it felt as if it were going to jump out of her chest.

"She's only five years old Miah! And her mommy and daddy are gone and she's hurt so badly. What are we supposed to do now?" Mariah shook her head, looking out the front of the window. The sunlight again. It seemed so cruel, almost garish. _How dare you shine so bright considering what's happened to my family _Mariah thought to herself, _what do you have to be so happy about? _

And truth be told, Mariah had no idea how to answer Bev's question. That had always been Marlene's job. Marlene had all the answers; she always knew what to do. How the hell was Mariah supposed to know? Ask Marlene! 'Ask Marlene' had always been their answer to everything because she was technically the oldest. She knew the most about life. She knew how to make good decisions…but that was no longer an option. They were on their own now and it was time to finally step up. Mariah was now the oldest…and she needed to act like it. Placing her hand on the handle of the car door, Mariah spoke.

"C'mon Bev, I'm gonna drive the rest of the way." Bev began to protest once again, but Mariah cut her off. "Nope, don't argue with me. I feel like I need to be physically doing something other than just sitting here or I'm gonna go insane. Just let me drive." Bev stared at her, still not moving.

"But do you know where you're going? I mean, it's been a while since you've…"

Mariah cut her off once more. "Please, I may have been gone for seven years but I lived here for a lot longer. I remember how to get to my parent's house from the interstate, I remember that much. Now c'mon. Move your butt." Resignedly, Bev got out of the car, switching places with Mariah as she climbed into the driver's seat. With that, Mariah started the Jeep once more, pulling back out onto the almost deserted interstate, it being 10 in the morning on a work day.

The rest of the way they drove in silence, only the hum of the car could be heard. Mariah couldn't get what Bev had said about the accident out of her head. Killed instantly. Neck broken. _At least they didn't suffer_, Mariah offhandedly thought, and then she shivered. Why would she think of something like that? Granted she was glad for it, the last thing she wanted to consider was her sister suffering in pain but still. Of all the thoughts to come to her head, that one comes first. Her mother was right about one thing. She really could be insensitive, even to herself.

Noticing her exit, Mariah signaled and began to merge right to get off of the interstate. God it was bright. She was really starting to hate the sun…and still had no sunglasses. Then, out of nowhere, she remembered they were still on her coffee table in her penthouse back in New York. And she'd been searching for them the whole way here, certain they were with her and they were there the whole time. She distinctly remembered walking out the door without them and she didn't even realize! She couldn't help but laugh a bit and Bev looked at her, startled.

"What could possibly be funny?" she asked, sounding a little upset. Mariah shook her head, slightly startled at her own outburst.

"It's nothing. I'm sorry. Really, I am." And then she stopped in the middle of the road, opened her car door and vomited.

XX

_End Chapter 1_


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hello everyone, I hope you had a wonderful holiday! Sorry for the delay on this chapter, although I guess it really hasn't even been a month has it? Either way, life has been crazy and I've just now begun to catch up so I thank you for your patience.

I also want to thank all of those who reviewed, favorited, or just plain read but didn't say anything. I honestly didn't think anyone would be interested in this story, but I was pleasantly proven wrong! So thank you again.

Anyway, without further ado, here is the next chapter. Please bear with me through further character development. It'll all be over soon, I promise.

XXXX

Chapter 2

September 13th, 1995

I can't believe I threw up in public…Mariah slumped a little lower in the passenger seat of Bev's Jeep, weary of herself after what had just happened. Apparently she hadn't been feeling as well as she had thought…and pushing down her feelings had obviously done nothing for her physical health.

After the initial deed was done, Bev had once again decided to drive, saying that it had been for the best all along considering what had just happened. Mariah hated that. She had tried to be strong for her friend the way Marlene would've been and ended up having to be carted off of a public highway, stopping traffic, all because she couldn't handle the situation. Not to mention, she was pretty sure she'd puked on Bev's shoes. If she had however, her friend gave no indication, but of course had helped Mariah back into the car, even buckling her seatbelt for her as if she were a child…or drunk. Mariah once again couldn't help but laugh, earning yet another puzzled look from Bev. What I'd give to be drunk right now…God I'm pathetic…

The ride had been relatively silent since her episode in the street. Mariah figured Bev was trying to give her plenty of space to think and fully regain her composure before having to face her parents. She appreciated that, especially now. The street that they had just turned onto was one Mariah knew all too well. Winding through a nest of oak trees, the street ran through the most perfect neighborhood in their perfect town. Mariah snorted. Nothing but perfect for her parents. White colonial houses with dark blue shutters and picket fences smiled at her as they passed. Residents stood outside doing yard work, talking to neighbors, or even washing their cars. Mariah snorted again.

Sure it's warm for September, but c'mon. Must you break out the bathing suit and the hose?

Mariah knew that normally these kinds of things wouldn't have bothered her. Usually, she could care less what other people were up to as long as it wasn't affecting her. This however, was a product of the setting, the here and now. She was back in her hometown of Great Bend, Kansas, a place she had never really wanted to see again. This neighborhood gave her a completely unwelcome feeling of nostalgia and she wanted it go away. It was a thousand times worse here then it had been in the airport, or even on the road. Not to mention, Marlene, who had always been a constant in this place, was no longer here. And Mariah was back because of it.

Looking around, she had forgotten what exactly this place was like. It looked like a scene straight out of "Leave It to Beaver." She almost expected Beaver Cleaver himself to come running out of one of the houses. You never saw anything like this in New York and Mariah was starting to wonder how she had stomached living here for so long. Everything was too…nice. She couldn't think of a better word. It was almost like it wasn't the real world. Did these people have any idea what it was really like out there? Obviously not, with their BMW's and neatly trimmed lawns. Mariah shifted in her seat. She was beginning to feel sick again. As she was about to suggest Bev pull over so that she could throw up right in front of Dad, Mom, Lucy, Harry, the dog, and the milkman, the Jeep stopped. Bev turned the car off and looked at Mariah.

"We're here."

Mariah looked through the windshield at a white colonial house with dark blue shutters, a neatly trimmed lawn, and a BMW in the garage. Conformity at its finest. And this is where she had spent the first eighteen years of her life, the place she had run away from and had never looked back, not even once. It loomed in front of her like a monster, a giant white monster that was ready to swallow her up and ingest her once again. And her one comfort, the one thing that had made this place bearable, was gone. She'd have to face the demons inside the monster alone. Well, not altogether alone. She had Bev and Kesha would be arriving tomorrow…still, she didn't know how long she could fend them off by herself and it would take all three…

"Miah, are you getting out or what?" Bev was standing outside her door, staring at Mariah like she'd sprouted two heads. Mariah looked up at the house one more time and Bev leaned forward in the doorway.

"Are you gonna be sick again? If you are, just…" Bev had started to move towards Mariah's side of the car.

Shaking her head, Mariah unbuckled her seatbelt and opened her door.

"No I'm fine. I was just…in another world or something for a second. C'mon, let's get inside and do this so I can get to my hotel and go to bed." Bev looked at her, coming to walk beside her as they made their way up the little stone walk towards the front door.

Gaining more of her bearings, Mariah continued to look around, surveying the apparent situation. For the first time since their arrival, she noticed the cars. Parked up and down the street were at least ten to fifteen cars, some of which Mariah recognized, some she didn't. Either way, she was pretty sure that all of them were for their house.

Great.

Not only did she once again have to face her parents who hated her, but she'd have to grieve and schmooze with people she didn't remember, but remembered her. What a glorious day this was shaping up to be already! Bev noticed Mariah's discomfort and turned to her friend while putting her hand on the front doorknob.

"You sure you're okay?"

Mariah looked at Bev, managing to crack a half smile.

"As okay as can be expected given the situation."

Bev frowned and turned towards the door.

"Well, I just wanna make sure you're not gonna freak out or anything when we go in there. I know you and your mom…" Mariah cut her off.

"Bev, I'm gonna have to go in there sooner or later. Let's just get the hard part over with please." And with that, Mariah put her own hand on the door and pushed, staring into the entryway she hadn't seen in seven years.

XXXXXX

Too many bodies in one room…stop hugging me…who are you again….there is such a thing as personal space….somebody is wearing way too much perfume…stop crying…get away from me…stop crying…where the hell did Bev go…STOP CRYING!

Mariah was suffocating. Where did all these people come from and why wouldn't they leave her alone? Once she had initially gotten the front door open, Mariah had instantly become overwhelmed by the sight of a nearly packed living room, a living room she hadn't seen in a very long time.

Despite the obscurity from the mass of people crammed into the space, Mariah could tell that the room looked the same as it always had. Shiny wooden floors, white walls, and flower-printed furniture covered in plastic made up the furnishings. Further back was the entrance to the kitchen and to left, the staircase leading to the next level. Unsurprisingly, everything was spotless, or at least it had been before all of these people had dirtied up her mother's perfectly waxed floor with their shoes.

Slightly amused, Mariah half-hoped she'd be around to see her mother's reaction once everyone was gone and the true condition of the floors was revealed. She'd probably get on her hands and knees like Cinderella and immediately start scrubbing with a toothbrush. Mariah bit her lip to keep from laughing at that image. Marlene is dead, why dirty the house? Good question mother, let me write that one down for ya!

Pulling herself out of her own bizarre thoughts, Mariah continued to survey the situation from the doorway.

People were everywhere and it looked like there would be no room to breathe, let alone get through the door. Of course once everyone had noticed her, it was like time had stood still. If it had been a movie, the music would've stopped, and everyone would've stared, kind of like those climatic scenes in romantic comedies or action movies where everything finally comes to a head. What happened next was extremely similar to that.

People rushed forward, arms outstretched, tears streaming down their faces, as they grabbed Mariah and pulled her into the house, shutting the door behind her.

Immediately there was flood of tears and hugs and general grabbing that Mariah did anything but appreciate. Bev disappeared almost instantly and Mariah stared after her, wondering why her friend was leaving her in the midst of all this chaos.

"Oh Mariah, I'm so glad you're here. I just…you must be devastated!" Mariah stared into the tear-streaked face of her aunt Hannah. She started to respond when she was once again pulled from a different direction.

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry. Do you need to sit down?" _Uncle Carl._

"How was your flight? Hopefully good, that's all we need is something to happen to you now."_ Aunt Jane._

"Do you want something to drink?" _I have no idea who you are._

"It's so surreal seeing you…because you and Marley were identical…" _Way to state the obvious random person I don't even know._

Mariah had more or less been waiting for that. She knew it would only be a matter of time before someone mentioned the fact that she and Marlene were identical. It was something that would later become an issue and had already become one for Mariah. She realized that she hadn't looked in a mirror since Marlene had died. Huh.

Mariah continued to be pulled, grabbed, and hugged against her will. Where was Bev? She honestly just wanted to make it to the kitchen and down a few glasses of wine. After that, she'd be ready for anything these people were willing to throw at her. Yep, the party would really start once she got to the wine.

She couldn't stand being out here with this mob any longer and if she had to listen to one more person say "I'm sorry" today, the next one that said it was going to find various limbs in not-so-comfortable positions.

Deciding she really couldn't make it to the kitchen right now since it was packed with more people who were probably just dying to say "I'm sorry", hug her, and cry all over her, Mariah set her sights on the next best thing, the hall bathroom. She could see it from where she was, it's door ajar, the inside dark and inviting. It looked like the Holy Grail to Mariah and it was the one place she could get some privacy as of now. It became her mission to make it to the bathroom. It could be dangerous, but she'd definitely try.

"Excuse me, please excuse me. I'm sorry, excuse me." Mariah began to shove her way through the crowd, ignoring the words and calls from those around her. Being a New Yorker, Mariah had no trouble effectively working her way through the people to the bathroom. She'd become a seasoned pro and it wasn't nearly as hard as she initially thought it was going to be.

Once she reached the bathroom, Mariah slammed the door shut and locked it, not even bothering to turn on the light first. She stood a moment in the darkness, listening to the chatter outside, glad to be out of the thick of things. Vaguely, she wondered if she could just stay in here the entire time. Surely nobody would miss her, the sister that was never around, the family disappointment, and all of those other wonderful titles she'd earned.

Leaning her forehead against the cool, wooden wall of the bathroom, Mariah reached for the light switch, remembering exactly where it was, and flicked it on. Warm, yellow light filled the tiny room and Mariah turned around, running her hands over her face and fumbling for the sink. She turned the knobs so that the water was warm and splashed some on her face, not caring if it further smeared her makeup or not. Between crying and puking and nearly being smothered by a crowd of sweaty, overdressed, unfamiliar people, she doubted she looked like her normal, perfectly groomed self anyway.

Turning off the water, Mariah grabbed for a towel and pressed it to her face, the smell of it instantly bringing back that annoying feeling of nostalgia she'd been dealing with all morning. Her mother still used the same laundry detergent. What a surprise.

Sniffing a little, Mariah hung the towel back on the rack and leaned over the sink, eyes closed, listening to the din of people outside the door. At this point, she'd rather tap dance naked in front of the CEO of her corporation then go back out there. Maybe she really could just stay in here the entire time. Hell, she felt as if she'd be doing everyone a favor if anything. And there was a toilet right there…

Shaking her head, Mariah looked up and prepared to make her next move, when she caught sight of something in the mirror. Stopping for a second, Mariah stared, fully trying to take in what she was seeing. It was her own reflection.

Startled, Mariah jumped back slightly, feeling edgy and paranoid all of sudden. This was the first time she'd looked in the mirror since Marlene had been gone. Until now, she'd never been more aware of the fact that she and her sister were identical. Sure, there were slight differences, but not enough to give Mariah a sense of calm.

Both girls had the same straight, dark brown hair, though Marlene had always kept hers somewhat long, usually wearing it in a French braid or pushed back with a headband. Mariah however had cut hers in a short, stylish, on-the-go fashion, perfect for a New York magazine exec.

Though their features were essentially the same, their skin tones had been slightly different as well. While Mariah was very pale, Marlene had had a slight tan from working outside in the yard or volunteering at the local gardens, something she'd always loved to do ever since she was child. She had always had a knack for horticulture and a love for plants and all things organic. She had been a born naturalist, something Mariah could've cared less about.

Mariah could've cared less about a lot of things concerning her sister, and she wished once again that she could take back some of the choices she'd made regarding Marlene, especially when she took one last look at herself, noticing the one things that distinctly made them twins. Both of them had the same, crystal blue eyes, eyes unlike anyone else she'd ever known.

Growing up, the girls used to laugh and question where their eyes might've come from. Neither of their parent's had blue eyes, both of theirs were dark brown. And they couldn't recall any family member with blue eyes either. Marlene used to call it "a fluke in their genes" and Mariah had loved the term. She loved feeling special and different and she'd loved sharing that with her sister.

When had that all gone away? How could they have looked so much alike, yet been so different. How could SHE have been so INDIFFERENT? Continuing to stare, Mariah couldn't seem to remove her eyes from herself. It was almost like staring at a ghost. As she stared, her reflection seemed to blur, her hair becoming longer, and her skin tone warmer. Her lips curled into a knowing smile and her eyes seemed to glow with understanding. She was no longer looking at herself; she was looking straight into the face of her sister.

Marlene stared back at her, seeming to know everything, even what was going on in Mariah's head. Mariah squinted. Was this really happening? Was she really seeing Marlene's reflection in the glass of the mirror? Leaning forward a bit, Mariah continued to look without blinking at the person in the glass. This couldn't really be happening…but there it was. Her sisters face. Mariah brought her hand up, reaching to touch the glass, hoping for some kind of assurance that she was seeing what she was seeing…

_KNOCK KNOCK_

Mariah was immediately shoved out of her haze, the knock at the door startling her so badly; she nearly jumped out of her skin. Clutching her chest and feeling immediate rage at having been scared out of her wits and pulled away from Marlene, Mariah was ready to impale whoever was on the other side of the door. Giving it a scathing look, Mariah managed to find her voice.

"What?"

"Miah, you okay?" It was Bev. Relieved, Mariah took a moment to survey herself, smoothing out her black skirt and making sure her face wasn't horribly smeared. She tried not to pay attention to her reflection as she checked her makeup.

"Yeah, I'm good. I'm coming, just a minute." Mariah wished once again that she could just stay in the safety of the bathroom for the remainder of the day, but she knew that wasn't an option. Eventually people would wonder where she was, at least Bev would.

Checking herself one last time, Mariah glanced at the mirror once more, hoping to see what she had seen moments ago. Disappointingly, all that stared back at her was her own self and Mariah shook her head, deciding right then and there to convince herself that what had just happened…hadn't. It was a product of grief and being overwhelmed at being back in this place. There was a logical explanation for what had just happened and she'd figure it out…once she got her hands on some of that wine she'd been thinking about earlier.

Taking a deep breath, Mariah opened the door to see Bev standing there, holding that beautiful glass of wine, as well as a concerned expression. And standing next to her, was her mother

Janet Moyers looked the same as she always had. Short brown hair, the same as Mariah's, hung in loose curls around her face, dark brown eyes staring at her with that same look she'd always been given. She wore a simple black dress, cut modestly at the neck with large, red buttons trailing down the front, the skirt stopping just above her knees. Her mouth was tight, thin lips pressed close together and her red rimmed eyes never left Mariah's as they laid eyes on each other for the first time in seven years.

Mariah stood dumbly in the doorway of the bathroom, having not a clue what to say or do. At this moment, all of the people standing around seemed to fade as Mariah faced her mother.

Looking at her, Mariah did all she could to not wince as she remembered the last conversation they'd had. It had once again been an argument about family. When Marlene had gone into labor with Cera, Mariah's mother had called her, wanting her to return home immediately and Mariah had refused.

Not that she hadn't had good reason, she had! Indulge was having a huge showcase in London that same week and as editor-in-chief, Mariah was of course required to be there. So she had declined, saying that she had important work business to attend to and to send her regrets. Her mother had lost, accusing Mariah of avoiding the family and not loving any of them, and that she'd run away on purpose. Her mother had also taken that opportunity to further dictate to Mariah what a disappointment she was and that she didn't need to bother contacting them or coming back home ever again. Of course, Mariah had said she would gladly oblige.

Until now, Mariah hadn't realized how much her mother's words had stung. Now, seeing her again for the first time, she wanted nothing more than to punch the woman in the face. She didn't want a tender reunion. She didn't want to kiss and make up! It didn't matter what she said or did, nothing would ever make it right in her mother's eyes and Mariah could tell that just by looking at her.

But she wasn't going to be the low one here. No, she was going to rise about the pettiness of her mother for Marlene and her memory. Marlene had always hated it when they fought, and Mariah wanted to respect that. She could at least have that much decency, even if her mother could not.

Holding her head up and swallowing hard, Mariah looked at her mother.

"Hi mom." Janet nodded stiffly, acting as if speaking to Mariah was the hardest thing in the world.

"Hello Mariah."

At this, both women once again stood there, not saying anything else. Bev tentatively handed Mariah the glass of wine, which she gratefully accepted without a thank you, immediately taking a long sip. Janet looked down her nose in distaste.

_What, I can't even have a glass of wine at my sisters mourning without you fucking judging me? _

Mariah had to use every ounce of willpower in her body to keep from saying those words. She was going to be the bigger person here, she had to remember that. Luckily enough, another distraction had made its way into the room.

Mariah never thought she'd be so happy to see her father. Short and balding, Bob Moyers made his way to her, pushing past the still-vast group of mourners and coming to stop just in front of Mariah. Without words, her father reached for her and enveloped her in an awkward hug, one that seemed more like an obligation and less like something he'd actually wanted to do. Mariah hugged him back, not sure what to do. It had been a very long time since her father had hugged her and she wasn't sure what do with it.

After a few, very awkward moments, Bob pulled away from Mariah, looking at her for the first time in a long time. Immediately the tears began to flow from his eyes, the sight of his beloved daughter's twin unbearable.

"Mariah, I'm so glad you're here. I'm sorry it's just…" her father looked down, "You look exactly like her." And with that, he strode away, not another word, not another glance back. Her mother gave her a scathing look, as if it were her fault for looking identical to Marlene. With that, she disappeared into the kitchen. Typical. Mariah stared after them for a second, and then looked down into her glass of wine.

"Welcome home Miah." And with that, she finished off the nearly-full glass in one gulp.

XXXX

The rest of the get-together had been somewhat of a blur. This may have been partially due to the fact that Mariah had had a few glasses of wine.

Because of this, she seemed to be feeling a lot better than before. Everything didn't seem quite as sad right now, thought it was all still very annoying. People came and went, continued to smother her with unwanted attention and condolences, and remark on how well she seemed to be holding up.

Ha, a lot they knew.

Unbeknownst to them, Mariah had been teetering on the brink of insanity since finding out about her sister. She had become such a good liar and actress over the years that nobody even noticed. Ten points for Mariah in the "fake your emotions" category! She always scored high in that one.

At some point horderves had been served, though nobody had bothered to touch them. And of course, she continued to be ignored by her parents. Her father couldn't look at her without bursting into tears and her mother wouldn't even do as much as look at her.

For the most part, Mariah had clung to Bev, afraid she would once again leave her at the mercy of these people and their constant "I'm sorrying." Her friend hadn't minded, she could tell that Mariah was having more of a difficult time with this then she let on.

Needless to say, Mariah was thrilled once the early evening came and the last car pulled away, honking twice before disappearing down the road and out of sight.

Mariah soon found that the quietness she so craved was more of a curse then a blessing. Now, it was only herself, her parents who hadn't spoken to her since the encounter in front of the bathroom, and Bev left in the house.

Mariah stood in the kitchen, leaning against the counter as Bev wrapped the leftovers from the day in plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator. Her mother had gone upstairs almost twenty minutes ago, not bothering to tell anyone when and if she'd be coming back down. Mariah hoped she wouldn't. She honestly hoped she wouldn't have to see her mother again until the funeral tomorrow. The less time spent with that woman, the better as far as she was concerned and she was sure that the feeling was mutual. The television in the room dinned quietly, the sounds of a football floating through the house. Mariah doubted he was even watching it. He'd been there for hours, in the same spot.

Messing with the bracelet on her wrist, Mariah turned to look at Bev, who was bent over in the fridge.

"So Kesha's coming tomorrow right?" Mariah asked her friend. Bev stood up, shutting the door behind her and leaning against the fridge.

"Yep, said she'd be here between nine and ten so we could all ride down there together. She would've been here today, but that hurricane delayed flights for days and tomorrow is the first day they're letting planes leave." Mariah nodded.

"That's what she told me this morning. " Kesha Daniels, the fourth member of their quartet, now turned trio, was computer programmer, now based in Jackson, Florida. If Bev had been Marlene's right hand, Kesha had been Mariah's. Hearing that she would be here tomorrow made Mariah feel a lot better. Bev was great, but Kesha had always understood Mariah a little better. Plus, her parents of course loved Bev which made Mariah feel all the more uncomfortable in this situation. They considered Kesha just as much of a loser as Mariah, so it would be nice to share that burden with somebody. And she knew Kesha would gladly oblige.

Bev nodded. "It's gonna be great to all be together again. It's been such a long time…" Mariah nodded in agreement.

"I know." She really couldn't think of anything else to say. She was so tired and it had been such a long day, she honestly considered asking Bev to just take her back to her hotel. Her parent's obviously weren't interested so she really saw no point in staying…

"Oh shoot!" Bev began to look around the kitchen as if she'd just lost something very important. Mariah stood up straight, startled.

"What is it?"

Bev threw her hands in the air. "Oh I forgot I was supposed to drop the guestbook off at the mortuary today! I'm such an idiot, how could I forget something like that?" With that, Bev walked briskly out of the room to the coat closet, grabbing hers off of its hanger and quickly flinging it around her shoulders.

"It's at my place and I gotta do it tonight before they close…" She grabbed her purse and pulled out her keys, heading for the front door. In all the commotion, Mariah's father paid them no attention, but continued to stare blankly at the TV screen. Bev opened the door and stepped out into the rapidly growing twilight, Mariah following close on her heels.

"Just let me get my coat and I'll come with you…" Mariah started but Bev turned around, her hazel eyes staring into Mariah's blue ones. She looked like she meant business.

"Nope, you stay here with your folks. I'll be back in about thirty minutes." Mariah was momentarily panic-stricken. She wasn't staying here!

"Um, no I'm not staying here! Bev, they haven't even looked at me all day, I'm not gonna be alone in a house with them! Just drop me off at the hotel on your way back and I'll…" Bev shook her head.

"Miah, about a week before Marlene died…"Bev swallowed hard, "She told me she wanted you to make up with your parents. She wanted you guys to be a family again. I want you to try. Just stay here for thirty minutes while I go this, then I promise I'll take you to your hotel. Just at least try for Marlene. Please?" Bev gave Mariah no chance to respond. She opened the door to her Jeep, got in and turned on her headlights.

Within seconds, she was down the driveway, up the street and out of sight. Mariah stood, not sure of what had just happened. Had Bev really just left her there? Had she really talked to Marlene about their situation, just last week?

Mariah looked down at the ground, thinking about what Bev had just said. Marlene had wanted her and her parents to make up. She'd wanted them to be a family again, to at least try. But hadn't Mariah tried already? She'd shown up hadn't she? She'd put up with her dad's constant blubbering and her mother's coldness right? As far as she was concerned, the ball was in her parent's court. Where did Bev get the nerve to throw that back in her face?

Now even more irritated, Mariah turned around and gazed back at her house, the big white monster that was waiting once again. Fine, she wasn't afraid. She would sit with her parents for half an hour. If that was HER job and HER responsibility alone, fine. She would handle it just the way she handled any other situation where she was in charge, with professionalism and fairness. How hard could it be? And what choice did she have at the moment?

Clenching her fists in determination and holding her head high, she marched back to the house, through the front door, and into the living room where her father still sat. Clearing her throat, she sat down opposite his overstuffed red armchair on the loveseat and looked at him.

"Hi Dad," she said, "It's me Mariah. Remember me, your other daughter? I'm in here in case you didn't know. Surprise!"

As to be expected, Mariah got no reaction from her father. He didn't even look away from the television. Mariah sat back on the couch, the crunching of the plastic annoying her just as it had when she was a child. Vivid memories of she and Marlene being forced to finish meals in the kitchen, never being able to enter the house with their shoes on, and being given strict orders to stay off of the furniture flooded her mind as she continued to adjust her position on the couch. God it was uncomfortable. Couches we meant to be sat on, not put on display like some expensive piece of art. Hell, these couches probably weren't worth the plastic they were wrapped in anyways.

Glancing at the grandfather clock next to the staircase, she noticed it was just after 7:00pm. She also noticed that it seemed to be ticking rather loudly. It even drowned out the irrelevant football game that was currently showing on the TV. Mariah scowled. She had always hated that clock. She couldn't even recall at the moment where it had come from, she just knew she hated it.

Clearing her throat, she decided to try once again to talk to her father. Third times the charm right? And if you counted the attempts she had made at a conversation with the man since she'd arrived, this would be lucky number three. Leaning forward slightly, Mariah once again cleared her throat.

"So Dad…um…I know I haven't been around a whole lot and I'm sorry, really I am." Mariah stopped for a moment, waiting for a possible response from her father. His position didn't change and of course he said nothing. Shaking her foot nervously, Mariah pressed on.

"You know I would've come around more often but work is so hectic. You remember I'm the boss lady at Indulge in New York right? I would've come last year but I had a huge promotion going on in London and I couldn't get out of it. I explained that to mom but obviously she never relayed the message…I was sort of hoping maybe Marlene would've-"

"Mariah."

Her father had turned towards her, his eyes puffy and bloodshot. Mariah was slightly taken aback at his appearance. For the first time in a long time, she noticed just how…old he looked. The man looked like he had lost everything, his entire world. Maybe in a way he had. Marlene had always been the apple of his eye, his pride and joy, his favorite daughter. Mariah had known it was so her entire life, but it had never been made more apparent until this very moment.

Looking at him in the dim lamp light, Mariah saw nothing in his eyes except despair. Utter and complete failure to feel anything except lost. Mariah couldn't figure out whether she wanted to hug him or run screaming out the door. Some part of her hoped that she could console him, but the greater part of her knew she couldn't. She knew somewhere in there he resented her…because Marlene was gone and she was here.

Swallowing a lump in her throat and repressing the urge to scream, Mariah began to speak but never got the chance. Her father had beaten her to it.

"I…I really don't wanna talk okay? I don't want you to take this the wrong way. You're my daughter and despite what you may think, I love you. But I need to just think okay? I need to think about what's going to happen tomorrow. I can't listen to this right now. I'm sorry."

With that, he turned his gaze back to the screen, the gleaming shimmer of a tear reflecting off of his cheek. Mariah took that as a hint that this conversation was over. Preparing to get up, she had almost started to stand when her mother appeared at the foot of the stairs. Mariah hadn't even heard her come down. But standing there in her pale pink night robe was her mother and from the look on her face, Mariah knew that this was a situation about to go from bad to much worse.

"You're still here?"

Janet gave Mariah a scathing look and disappeared into the kitchen. Mariah continued to sit, dumbstruck for a moment. Did her mother really just say that to her? Her sister was dead and all her mother could say was you're still here? Her father was nearly catatonic with grief and all her mother could say was you're still here?

Immediate rage consumed Mariah and it took her over like jumping into a pool of ice cold water. Her mother wanted to play that game? Fine. Mariah had tried to be the better person. Not once had she approached her mother and attempted to pick a fight. Not once had she mentioned anything about what had happened between them in the past. Regardless of her inner feelings, she had come there with good intentions and had gotten nothing but a river of shit back from both of her parents. That was fine with Mariah. She was ready to rumble if they were.

Jumping up from the couch, Mariah rushed into the kitchen, intent on making her point known. Her mother was standing at the microwave, heating some water probably for her green tea she drank every night before bed. Some things never changed. Hell, here nothing had ever changed except for the fact that now Marlene was dead.

Mariah took a deep breath, trying to control her temper. She was not going to shout, just talk sternly…in her "I'm the boss" voice. That always seemed to do the trick. This was only her mother after all. She had argued with the woman countless times. Why should this one be any different?

"You know, you could at least be civil to me since I feel like I've done a damn good job of being civil to you. "

Her mother spun around, immediate anger in her eyes.

"You haven't said two words to me since you got here Mariah."

"I have tried! I stood there this morning when you first saw me and you said nothing! You just stared at me like I was…" Mariah sputtered. Nope, no sputtering aloud. Get it together Miah… "Like I was some alien or some bum off the street you've never seen before!"

Her mother glared at her. This was going to escalate, Mariah could already tell. And she was ready for it to. It had been a while since she'd had a really good argument. And these circumstances felt perfect.

"I don't believe we have a thing to say to each other, "Janet said her voice tight with menace, "Everything has already been said as far as I'm concerned." Mariah threw her hands in the air.

"Then why they hell did you just yell at me about not saying anything to you earlier?"

"Mariah, do NOT curse in my house. I won't have it-"

"I'm not cursing, when the hell did I ever curse?"

"You just did'-"

"Oh Jesus mother!" Mariah spun around, running her hands through her hair in exasperation. She didn't know if she could withstand this. Her mother huffed and put her hands on her hips.

"See Mariah; look at the way you're behaving right now? Your sister is dead and you can't control yourself under these tragic circumstances-"Mariah felt her control immediately dissolve. This wasn't just going to be a banter session. This was going to be screaming match. And it was entirely her mother's fault as far as Mariah was concerned. Shaking with rage, Mariah rounded on her mother.

"Control myself? CONTROL MYSELF? Are you insane? You think I don't know what's going on here?"

"Stop yelling at me immediately-"Mariah shook her head.

"No! You know what, I'm done with this! How dare you say something like that me? I know Marlene is dead mom, I'm well aware of that! And you act like it means nothing to me! How the hell could you possibly understand what I feel?" Janet clenched her fists in a manner very similar to Mariah's and raised her voice as well.

"Yes because it's all about you Mariah! You you you, that's the way it's always been! Let's not forget about how Mariah feels! You were never here! You jetted off to that damn New York and left us here, not even caring! You don't care about your family OR your sister-"

Mariah completely lost all control at this point. Her mother had no right to say those types of things to her. It was just like her to hit low like that. That's how it always went when she was losing an argument. Annoyingly enough, Mariah had inherited that trait from her. It wasn't something she was proud of, but it was something she did. Either way, there was no way Mariah was going to let her mother get away with saying something like that.

"Don't you DARE say that to me!" Mariah screamed, "You know nothing about the relationship Marlene and I had-"but her mother was on a role at this point.

"Oh what relationship Mariah? You were never here! Hell, I'm surprised you even managed to MAKE it here for this! You could never be bothered with us before, and you have no idea what it did to Marlene do you-"

"I didn't stay away because of Marlene; I stayed away because of YOU!" Mariah screamed, "And you cared just about as much as I did, so don't even try to pull that one on me!"

"And what about your niece? She's in terrible condition in the hospital and you haven't even asked about her!"

Mariah stopped for moment. In all the commotion of the day, Mariah had done just what her mother accused her of doing. She had forgotten about Cera. Mariah couldn't believe she'd done that. Sure a lot had happened, but to not even consider…Mariah shook her head. Now was not the time to ponder that. Once she was done here, she'd worry about Cera. And the funeral. And the reading of the will along with a myriad of other things she needed to worry about.

"In case you haven't noticed mother, "Mariah hissed, "I've only been here for eight hours, seven and a half of those you haven't even looked my way. So how in the flying blue FUCK was I supposed to ask about Cera?" Janet turned away from Mariah, a harsh sigh escaping her lips.

"Mariah, I'm finished talking about this. I won't be spoken to like in my house and I want you leave right now. Your father can drive you-"

"Oh don't freaking bother mother, I'll let myself out! He's comatose in case you haven't noticed." Before her mother could respond, Mariah turned on her heel and walked out of the kitchen to the coat closet.

Flinging open the door, she grabbed her coat and roughly flung it onto her shoulders. She'd call a cab to take her to the hotel. Hell, she'd hitch a ride with Johnny the Strangler if it meant getting out of here. Anything was better than the house at this point.

As she was walking out the door, Mariah spared one last glance to her father. He still hadn't moved. It was as if he hadn't heard any of the goings on in the kitchen or had any idea what was going on around him.

For a brief second, Mariah wanted him to hug her. She wanted him to hold her like he'd used to when she was a little girl after a bad dream or a scrape on her knee. Sure, he may have favored Marlene, but he was good to her as a small child and she carried that with her. At times, especially when she hadn't been speaking to the rest of the family, remembering what it felt like to be held by him was what kept her going.

Almost immediately after considering it, Mariah decided not to act. She wasn't sure if he could handle it. He may drop dead himself right there on the new rug her mother had bought last spring. Ooh then they'd be in trouble. Dead bodies don't normally wash out, do they?

Suppressing a laugh, Mariah made her way out the door and onto the stoop, the thoughts of her father fading as she began to once again simmer over what had just happened with her mother. The woman really was crazy. Did she honestly not blame herself for anything that they'd been through? Did she honestly think Mariah was selfish enough to not care about her sister or her niece? Mariah ground her teeth together, wishing for something, anything to calm her down. Another cocktail would be nice. Maybe she'd visit the bar once she got the hotel. Seriously considering this, she automatically reached for her purse to get her cellphone, and then realized it wasn't there.

"Oh for god's sake!"

Mariah had been so freaked out when they had initially arrived at the house that afternoon that she had forgotten she had left her purse in Bev's car along with her other belongings. Now she had no cellphone, no money, and no way to get to her hotel. The only option she had was to go back inside and use the phone.

_Pfft, you couldn't pay me enough to do that…_Mariah thought to herself.

Just as she was planning to maybe ask a neighbor for their phone, a pair of headlights came around the corner and down the street. Yellow beams washed over Mariah as the car pulled into the driveway, and with a sigh of relief, she realized it was Bev. Perfect timing as usual.

Mariah didn't even give her a chance to get out of the car. Rushing towards the passenger door, Mariah flung it open and got into the car, shutting it behind her. Bev stared at her friend, slightly startled by the sudden burst of events.

"What's going-"? Mariah put her hand up, signaling for silence.

"I don't wanna talk about it, so don't ask me. Just take me to my hotel so I can go to bed." Bev stared at her a moment, then wordlessly turned back towards the front of the car and put it in reverse. She backed down the driveway and out into the street, then began to make her way out of the neighborhood.

Mariah sank a little lower in her seat, buckling her belt to avoid Bev's reminder. She once again played over the events of the day in her head, mostly what happened with her mother again.

Though she didn't want to admit it, her words stung. What made it worse was that Janet had been right about certain things. Mariah had stayed away on purpose. She hadn't answered phone calls on purpose. She'd been unavailable on purpose. How had she never realized? So much time wasted…and she really had gone the whole day without thinking of Cera once! That had to be the lowest of the low. Marlene would be so pissed if she knew.

Then Mariah's thoughts flashed back to what had happened in the bathroom that morning. What if she already knew? The thought made Mariah sick to her stomach. Sure, she'd done a lot of mean and selfish things, but she would never intentionally forget her niece. Mariah decided that immediately following the funeral, she would see Cera. Somehow, she'd make it there. It was the least she could do…according to the Wise One known as her mother.

XXXX

September 14th, 1995

_KNOCK KNOCK_

Oh my god, who the hell? Mariah turned over in her bed, wanting nothing more than to block out the annoying sounds echoing through the room. The incessant knocking had been going on for about five minutes now and Mariah knew that whoever was on the other side desperately wanted to talk her. The feeling however, wasn't mutual in the least. All she really wanted to do was continue to sleep and stay locked in the haze she had created for herself the night before.

Wanting to block out everything that had previously taken place, mostly the argument with her mother, Mariah had made a beeline for the bar after Bev had dropped her off at the hotel. The ride over had been awkward to say the least, both friends not saying a word to each other until the initial goodbye. By that time, Mariah had had enough of everything she'd been dealt in the first twenty-four hours she'd been home.

Between an exhausting plane ride, all of the goings-on at the house, and the fight with her mother, Mariah had wanted nothing more than to drown her sorrows in constant pomegranate martinis…and that is exactly what she had done. Thinking about it, Mariah couldn't even remember how she'd initially made it to her hotel room in the first place. She only hoped it hadn't been too embarrassing.

The knocking continued and Mariah finally opened her eyes, groaned, and rolled over again to glance at the clock radio on the bedside table. It was slightly after 7:30 in the morning. Sunlight poured into her room, making it even more difficult for Mariah to get her barings. It was also extremely cold in the space and very uncomfortable.

Running a hand across her face, Mariah turned onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. What was today again? In her sleepy haze, she knew that today was extremely important, but she couldn't quite put two and two together. She was also pretty sure that she might've still been drunk, further disabling her from identifying what was going on.

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK_

"Again with the knocking!" Mariah mumbled to herself, grabbing and pillow and putting it over her head. Maybe if she continued to ignore them they'd just go away, leaving her to go back to sleep and hopefully try and remember what today was. Either way, they were pissing her off and after yesterday, she highly doubted anybody would want to be on the receiving end of her bad mood.

Her efforts were in vain as the most insistent knock of the morning sounded on Mariah's door, a large heavy noise that sounded more like an entire body hitting it as opposed to one fist. Apparently the person outside was getting impatient.

"Arrggh!" Mariah threw the covers off of her and sat straight up in bed…then immediately regretted it. A sharp pain shot up the side of her neck and straight into her temple and Mariah clutched her throbbing head. Great. Now in addition to having not a clue what today was, the idiot continuously dropping bombs outside her door, and the uncomfortable hotel room, she was going to be hung over. Things just kept getting better and better!

Another heavy knock sounded and Mariah flung her legs over the side of the bed, eager to verbally slaughter whoever was waiting on the other side of the door. Every time they would knock, it would only intensify the pain and Mariah couldn't handle it anymore. It felt like somebody had a sludge hammer and was constantly pounding her in the head with it. She just wanted it to stop.

_KNOCK_

"I'm coming, Jesus Christ!" Stumbling a bit, Mariah put her feet to the ground and managed to stand up, teetering a bit, still clutching her head with her left hand.

"This had better be damn important…"Mariah mumbled to herself as she made her way to the door.

Not bothering to look through the peephole, Mariah flung the door open, the coldness of the hallway shocking her into a state of further awaken. Standing in front of her was Kesha Daniels, her best friend and the one she had been waiting for since yesterday afternoon. Her friend smiled at her, that same mischievous smile she'd always worn since their childhood. Only this time, it was sad.

"I was beginning to think I'd have to break the door down," she said. Without responding, Mariah flung herself at Kesha, tears once again seeping from her eyes. She had finally remembered what today was. It was the day of Marlene's funeral, the day that she'd truly have to say goodbye to her sister. Through all of the drama yesterday as well as the alcohol, she'd managed to block out her true reasons for being home for at least a few hours. Now seeing Kesha, it had all come crashing back against her.

It had been almost two years since she'd seen her friend. The two spoke on a regular basis, but lived on opposite ends of the east coast, Kesha being in Florida and Mariah of course being in New York. Growing up, they had had the shared ambition of getting out of Grantsville and moving onto bigger and better things, which is exactly what they had done. What amazed Mariah was that they had still managed to remain close, something she had trouble doing with people in general. Kesha had always been different though, and Mariah couldn't remember a time when she'd been happier to see her friend.

After a few seconds, Mariah pulled away, managing a weak smile. Kesha returned it, her own face tear-streaked as well. Despite the circumstances, seeing Kesha cry still startled Mariah a bit. She herself wasn't a crier and neither was Kesha. Marlene always used to say that Kesha and Mariah had hearts of ten carat gold and that she and Bev's were made of twenty four. She hadn't meant anything derogatory by it, it was simply a fact. Ten carat gold was tough, durable, and didn't break easily, much like Mariah and Kesha's emotional walls. Twenty four carat gold however was flexible, soft, and fragile in comparison to her own and Bev's. Mariah smiled a bit at the memory. Once again, proof that Marlene had always been the one with all the answers.

Taking Kesha's hand, Mariah led her into the room, shutting the door behind them. Turning around, Mariah once again faced her friend.

"Sorry about taking forever to get to the door. I didn't have the best night last night."

Kesha nodded, looking around the room. Mariah followed her gaze, immediate embarrassment washing over her. The place was in shambles. Luggage was open and tossed everywhere. Bed sheets and pillows were strewn about.

For the first time since waking up, Mariah looked to her left and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She'd fallen asleep in her clothes which were wrinkled most likely beyond repair, and her face was a complete mess. Makeup smeared and dark brown hair sticking in all different directions, Mariah looked like the worse hot mess imaginable.

Looking away in distaste, Mariah sat on the bed, rubbing her temples with her fingers. God her head hurt and she'd just cried some more. The pain was now twice as bad as it had been before and Mariah had no idea where her Excedrin was in this mess. It'd probably take hours, a shovel and a couple of hardworking illegal aliens to dig it out at this point. Mariah sighed.

"And the place is a mess so…" Kesha nodded, continuing to look around the room.

"I can see that. And I talked to Bev this morning so I heard about what a shitty day you had yesterday. Are you still drunk?"

Mariah looked up at her friend, exasperation showing in her features.

"No, I'm not still drunk! You've been pounding on my door for forever and I just woke up!" Kesha chuckled, walking over to the dresser and facing Mariah, crossing her arms.

"Okay, cause it looks like you're still drunk."

Mariah rolled her eyes, getting up and walking over to what she thought was her garment bag. It appeared to be the only thing un-strewn as of right now and Mariah was slightly relieved. The outfits she'd planned on wearing to the funeral and the will-reading were both in there and because they were hung up, they should be okay.

Leaning over to open it, Mariah began to wrestle with the zipper. It had always been stubborn, but Mariah didn't have the patience for it this morning. Tugging and pulling it every which way, Mariah was rapidly losing her cool with every failed attempt. What the hell was wrong with the stupid thing? Did it want her to go to her sister's funeral in last night's attire?

"Son of a bitch…"Mariah mumbled before being tapped on the shoulder.

"Here, let me do it." Kesha knelt down next to her, taking the zipper from her and pulling it down with ease. Mariah couldn't help but snort. Typical Kesha, Miss Fix-It. So not only was she a technical genius, she was apparently well-versed in the way of zipper control. Surprise surprise.

Mariah took the bag from Kesha and placed it on the bed, opening it to reveal her outfits and sighed with relief. No harm had been done; they looked just as perfect as they had when Mariah had initially put them away. Kesha leaned over to look in the bag as well, chuckling a bit at the sight.

"You're gonna be the most stylish person at the funeral," she mused reaching into the bag and pulling out a short black dress with matching black jacket. Mariah couldn't help but smile at the complement. Was anyone really surprised?

"There's a hat that goes with it too. It's around here somewhere…"Mariah said looking once again around the room.

"Yeah, good luck finding it," Kesha replied, laying the clothes on the bed, "What the heck went on in here last night? Other than a drunken rampage of course…" Mariah laughed, tossing aside sheets and pillows in an attempt to find her hat box. She hoped it wasn't in the same place as her sunglasses.

"I didn't go on a drunken rampage," she said throwing aside a beige throw pillow and pulling her hat box from under it, "I was a little tipsy, that's all. And I was in a hurry to get to bed."

Kesha laughed, sitting on the edge of the unmade bed as Mariah continued to bustle around the room trying to get ready.

"Uh huh. You probably had a fling with Buddy Parker and don't remember it." Mariah gagged, pulling her hairbrush, blow dryer, and toothbrush from her carry-on. If she was going to have a fling with anybody, it wouldn't be Buddy Parker, drunk or not.

Buddy had been a classmate of theirs in high school and hopelessly in love with Mariah for the entire duration. He had also been a mega nerd and when saying nerd, it meant the whole shebang. Pocket protector, taped glasses, acne, headgear and all. It had been a running joke that he and Mariah were destined to be together and Buddy himself had believed it! In fact, he'd been part of the reason Mariah had been so eager to get away from Grantsville. The farther away from him she could get, the better as far as she was concerned.

"In his wildest dreams," Mariah said, making her way to the bathroom. "I'm going to get in the shower and then we can go." Kesha nodded, reaching beside her and pulling a slender, black case onto her lap.

"I figured as much, so I came prepared. I know how long you take in the bathroom," she smiled up at Mariah and began to open the case. Mariah smiled back and shook her head, disappearing into the bathroom. God forbid Kesha go anywhere without her laptop. Computer geniuses must always have their materials with them of course, a quote directly from Kesha herself.

As Mariah stood soaking in the heat of the shower, her thoughts once again wandered to the events leading up to right now. After everything, it was hard to believe that just seventy-two hours ago, she was living her normal life in New York. Now, she would be burying her sister in less than three. It all seemed surreal and Mariah found herself astonished that so much could happen in such a short amount of time.

Reaching for the shampoo, Mariah began to contemplate what might take place today. What would the funeral even be like? It had been so long since she'd attended one, she didn't know what to expect. She knew that the whole town would be there, people she hadn't seen in years. Everybody that had been at her parent's house yesterday would be there as well. So would her parents of course. Mariah shuddered at the thought. The last thing she wanted to do was be in the same vicinity as her mother. Even though she knew it was unavoidable, that didn't make the pending scenario any less nerve-raking. Being at Marlene's funeral would be hard enough without having to worry about what her mother was going to do.

Rinsing her hair, Mariah decided at that moment to simply ignore her mother. If she spoke to her, then Mariah would of course respond. If not, they wouldn't exchange words, simple as that. And she would keep that mentality throughout the funeral, while visiting Cera at the hospital later today, and the will-reading the next. It was really all she could do at this point.

Once she'd finished showering, Mariah began to get ready for the funeral, blow drying her hair and applying makeup. She had decided ahead of time to go a little easier on the makeup then she usually did. This was a funeral and Mariah wanted to look modest, but stylish. Marlene knew that's how Mariah had always been and she was pretty sure her sister would want her to stay true to herself! Plus, she'd spent the last two days looking like hell. It was about time she dolled up again and what better circumstance to do it under?

As Mariah was zipping up the side of her dress, someone knocked on her door. Mariah turned towards it, adjusting her dress in the process.

"Yeah?"

"I hate to break up the glam process, but it's coming up on nine and Bev's gonna be here around then. So I'd hurry it up." It was Kesha. Professional knocker of the morning, Miss Kesha Rene' Daniels. Mariah turned back towards the mirror, moving and adjusting her hair accordingly.

"I'm coming, I'm just about done."

"'Kay."

Mariah leaned forward closer to the mirror, one last time to further check her appearance. Yep, she was definitely looking more like her old self again, a little light on the makeup but still, a vast improvement from the last two days.

As Mariah reached behind her to pull on her jacket, she once again stared into the mirror. The image of what had happened yesterday at her mother's house came flooding back to her and Mariah continued to stare, hoping that maybe the same thing would happen today that happened yesterday. No such luck. Her own reflection continued to stare back at her and Mariah shook her head, slightly disappointed. She couldn't help but feel a little angry at Marlene.

_First you go and die on me, then you more or less appear to me, and now when I need you the most, you stay put. Thanks a bunch Marley… _

Mariah shook her head, privately chastising herself. That was unfair. Who was she to get angry over her poor, late sister over something so bogus? It had probably just been an illusion anyway, why dwell on it?

Sighing, Mariah took one last glance into the mirror and opened the door, shutting off the light. Kesha was standing in front of her, hand on the door knob, ready to go. She looked so sad all of a sudden.

"Bev just called. She's downstairs waiting for us right now. We gotta go."

Mariah nodded, doing one last check around the room. Surprisingly enough, it was clean. The bed was made, the shades were open, and all of Mariah's stuff was back in suitcases where it belonged. She looked at Kesha, who smiled weakly.

"I got bored." Mariah grinned back at her friend and reached out squeezing her shoulder. Kesha crinkled her nose at Mariah, the same way she always had when they were children, and opened the door. Mariah followed Kesha out into the hallway, and after closing the hotel room door, to the elevator.

They stepped inside and Kesha pushed the "L" button, the one that would take them to lobby. As the elevator doors began to close, Mariah noticed the music playing in the small compartment. It wasn't typical elevator music at all. Instead it was an actual song, one Mariah knew all too well. Apparently Kesha had recognized it as well and grabbed Mariah's hand, squeezing it. The two looked at each other, tears breaking through their 10K hearts. It was "Candle in the Wind" by Bette Milder…and it was also Marlene's favorite song.

XXXX

The funeral had gone just about as well as any funeral could go. It was much of the same stuff as yesterday, except of course without the unbearably confined space of her parent's house. The service was held at The Grantsville Mortuary, the only mortuary in the entire town.

As Mariah had predicted, it had been packed. People had come from all over to pay their last respects to Marlene and her husband Blake. Mariah, Kesha, and Bev had arrived a little after the bulk of the guests which meant that Mariah had had to do a ton of hugging and crying once again as she'd made her way into the building. People she didn't even remember were coming up to her offering condolences and hugs. Mariah found that she appreciated it a little more than she had yesterday, perhaps because she knew she wasn't going to inevitably have to interact with her parents.

She spent most of the time glued to Kesha, the two of them making rounds together and Kesha more or less taking it upon herself to decide when people were finished talking to Mariah. Mariah appreciated that. Kesha had never been comfortable in large crowds and Mariah could tell she was making a real effort to be as okay in this situation as she could be.

Bev couldn't seem to stay in one place. She seemed to be in high demand and Mariah couldn't help but feel a bit resentful for that. Marlene had been HER sister, not Bev's, so why was everyone acting like Bev was the one who'd lost a sister? Mariah had offhandedly mentioned that to Kesha right before the service as they were making their way into the room.

"I don't understand why everyone is freaking out over Bev," she had said right before they entered, "I'm the one who lost a sister and brother-in-law, not her." Kesha shrugged, sighing as well.

"It's probably because you've been away so long Miah. She was here and you weren't and most of the people here are local…it's what they know, it's not a slam towards you."

Mariah had huffed and looked away. That made sense, but still. She looked identical Marlene. It shouldn't be that hard to differentiate who was whose sister, regardless.

She had been relieved however that the family had chosen closed caskets for the bodies. Mariah honestly didn't think she could've handled having to see Marlene like that. The last thing she wanted was for her final image of her sister to be that of a made-up, plastic-looking person that didn't resemble her sister in the slightest.

Finding her seat was easily one of the most stressful parts of the whole day. Not only was she being made to sit right next to her parents whom hadn't even bothered to look at her since she'd gotten there, but she was sitting directly in front of Marlene's casket. Even though it was closed, Mariah had known that this particular one was Marlene's and she had hated being this close to it. Kesha and Bev had sat right behind her which helped slightly, but didn't seem to ease the situation in the way Mariah thought it would.

The awkwardness of her parents didn't help the situation. Mariah had spoken to Blake's parents on the way in, hugging both of them and feeling like part of the family for the first time since she'd gotten there. She'd only met Blake's mother Trudy a few times, but she'd always liked her. She was a naturally kind person and always spoke to Mariah in social situations.

Since the ongoing pattern of family get-togethers was Mariah getting the cold shoulder, it had always felt nice to feel wanted by somebody other than Marlene and her friends. So stopping to speak to them had been sad, yet one of the highlights of one of the saddest days in Mariah's whole life.

The service room had been so crowded that by the time the final attendees were entering, people had had to stand up along the walls just to fit everyone inside. Mariah had glanced around, surprised by the turn out. The whole town really had shown up. Because Blake and Marlene were both local and loved by everyone in town, Mariah shouldn't have been so surprised, but for some reason she had been.

Despite the awkwardness of having to sit next to her parents, the service had been beautiful, something Mariah knew Marlene would've appreciated. Their cousin Rudy, who had also happened to be Blake's best friend, gave a lovely eulogy about the two of them, saying what wonderful people they were and how much they would be missed. It had brought tears to Mariah's, as well as most everyone in the room. Mariah knew that her sister had been loved, but she hadn't realized just how much until now.

Towards the end of the service as the pastor was speaking the final rights, Mariah was astonished when her mother reached over and touched her hand. It had only been for a brief second, but it had happened none the less. Mariah had looked over and saw that she was weeping, silent but strong tears. For the first time in a long time, Mariah wanted to hug her. She wanted to curl up in her lap and cry and have her tell her everything would be alright. She wanted to apologize, say how sorry she was and just let bygones be bygones. However, she knew that wouldn't happen.

Once the last few bars of Amazing Grace were sang and the last few sniffles heard, things went back to the way they had been before the service. Mariah's mother got up without a word and without looking at her, took her husbands' arm and promptly left the service room. Mariah had stared after them, but made no attempt to follow.

The luncheon afterwards had been once again the same song and dance as the get-together in the house and the funeral that had just transpired. By the end of it all, Mariah had been beyond ready to go back to her hotel room and just sleep. She was finished being sociable and she was finished hugging and crying with random people she hadn't seen or heard from in years. All she had wanted was to go to sleep, just so she could forget Marlene was dead for at least a few hours.

This of course would have to wait, as she was now with Kesha driving to Granstville General Hospital to visit Cera.

"You're sure your parent's aren't gonna be there?" Kesha asked as she changed lanes to head North, the direction of the hospital. She was driving Bev's Jeep, as both she and Mariah had flown in and neither had a vehicle of their own at the moment.

As they were leaving the luncheon, Kesha had approached Bev, saying that Mariah had wanted to go and see Cera and asked to borrow her car. Bev at first had insisted on coming, wanting to be there to lend any support that she could. Mariah was secretly glad when Kesha had talked her out of it, saying that Bev was still needed here and that there was still the burial to go to. She had assured Be that they would pick her up once they were finished at the hospital.

After a few more minutes of arguing, Bev had finally agreed, reluctantly handing over the keys to Kesha. She had told them that she would be ready by four o'clock, if they could be back by then. Kesha had assured her that they would and she and Mariah had left, quickly and quietly so as not to attract a lot of attention.

Pulling away from her thoughts, Mariah nodded, "Yeah. Bev told me they were going to the cemetery immediately afterwards so I know they're not gonna show up anytime soon." Kesha turned to look at Mariah for a second.

"You sure you're okay with not going to initial burial?" Mariah sighed and stared out the window. She had thought long and hard on the flight over about whether or not she wanted to attend the actual burial ceremony. She had decided against it after almost an entire flight of going back and forth with the decision. In the end, she had had enough and didn't think she could emotionally make it through watching them actually put the casket in the ground, friends there to support her or not.

Mariah also knew that this would probably inevitably lead to her mother never speaking to her again. The moment where her mother had touched her hand in the service, Mariah was sure had been some kind of fluke, a product of immense grief that had led to abnormal actions on her mother's part. She was in the process of trying to convince herself of that fact and to be at peace with now being permanently cut off from the family. She had missed Cera's birth and now she was missing her sister's burial. Maybe people were right to think of Bev as Marlene's sister. She certainly was acting more like it at this point.

Mariah had always prided herself on being very brave and unwilling to back down from a challenge. Now, for what felt like the first time in her life, she was running. The challenge of watching them lower her sister's casket into the ground was something that she couldn't handle. The image itself made her nauseous. In turn, she had opted not to go to the burial…and she felt at peace with it.

"Yeah, I am. I thought about it a lot and I just don't think I can handle it on top of everything else. I'm pretty much on the edge of my breaking point here," Mariah replied, leaning back against the seat.

Kesha nodded, exiting the freeway and turning left.

"Are you sure okay with seeing Cera today? She's not in the best shape from what Bev told me and she's in a medically induced coma so she's not gonna be able to talk…"

Mariah shook her head. "No, I wanna see her. I just wanna see for myself that she's at least alive. I really feel like it's the only way I'll be able to attempt to sleep tonight." Kesha nodded again.

"Whatever you wanna do."

Kesha had turned into the parking lot of the hospital and found a parking space right in front of the children's section almost immediately. Mariah wondered for a second whether or not it was because everyone was at Marlene's funeral. The hospital seemed awfully deserted for being the only one in Grantsville.

The two women wordlessly got out of the car and walked through the revolving doors of the hospital to the front desk. Mariah felt uncomfortable immediately. She'd always hated hospitals. They always smelled like death to her and Mariah had had enough of death for one day.

Stiffening her posture, Mariah approached the front desk, Kesha following behind.

The nurse at the desk looked up expectantly. They didn't appear to be busy at all. A few random people sat around the room and hospital personnel ran in and out of different doors on the main floor. All seemed moderately calm and Mariah wasn't sure how she felt about that.

Placing her hands on the desk, Mariah spoke to the nurse.

"Excuse me, my name is Mariah Moyers and my niece was admitted here a few days ago. I'd like to see her if I could, but I don't know what floor she's on."

The nurse nodded and turned to her computer.

"What's the patients' name?"

"Cera Fuller."

The nurse's eyes went wide as she stared at Mariah.

"Oh my god, you're Marlene's sister! I thought you looked familiar. Oh, I'm so sorry for your loss." Mariah thought she was going to have a fit right then and there. If one more person said how sorry they were…and how the hell wouldn't she have recognized her? She and Marlene were identical!

Quickly suppressing her thoughts for frustration, Mariah attempted a smile.

"Thank you very much. Now what floor was Cera on?"

The nurse gasped, quickly turning back to her computer.

"I'm sorry; I lost myself for a minute. Cera is on floor six, room 612. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Mariah shook her head. "No I think that's it. Thank you again."

The nurse nodded. "You're very welcome and once again I'm so sorry." Mariah didn't respond as she stiffly made her way to the elevators, Kesha in tow.

Once inside, Mariah let out a sigh of mixed relief, mixed exasperation. Kesha looked on, slightly amused.

"I'm amazed you didn't scream at her when she told you how sorry she was. I seriously thought I was gonna have to restrain you."

Mariah laughed. Leave it to Kesha to make light of a situation like this.

"Let's hope that's the last time I have to hear that, at least today." With that, the elevator stopped moving and the doors opened. Mariah nearly fell over as the brown and white name plate of the floor they were on loomed in front of them.

Pediatric ICU.

Mariah knew that it was bad, but not this bad. Intensive care… that was for people that were either dying or near death. Kesha noticed Mariah's reaction and put her hands on her shoulders.

"Are you sure you're gonna be okay?"

Mariah nodded quickly, stepping out of the elevator. "I'll be fine. Let's just find Cera."

As they made their way down the hall, Mariah couldn't help but notice her surroundings. There was stuff everywhere; tubes, carts full of medical supplies, nurses, CNAs, and doctors. Charts and prints lined the walls. Something was beeping incessantly somewhere. It was a busy floor and Mariah felt like she was in an actual hospital. She had no idea how someone could actually work here. The placed just reeked of sadness and death. Regardless of seeing Cera or not, Mariah couldn't wait to get out of there. It was making her nauseous.

It was a relatively small floor, so it didn't take long for them to find Cera's room. The door was partially open, the outside decorated with little animals and a dry erase board with messages from the nurses and doctors scribbled on in handwriting Mariah couldn't read.

Looking in, she could just make out the end of Cera's bed and Mariah nearly chickened out. She didn't know if she could go through with this. It had been almost a year since she had seen Cera. Blake and Marlene had brought her to New York last summer for a visit and Mariah had taken them to see all of the famous sights in the city. Cera had gone on pony rides in Central Park and eaten ice cream at the many shops around town. Mariah had even arranged for her picture to be displayed on the Jumbo Tron in Times Square.

Cera had looked up, in awe that her tiny face looked so big, and she had laughed and pointed, wanting to stay and stare at it for hours. Marlene and Blake had been so excited, as had Mariah. Mariah wasn't naturally very good at caring about people, but she loved her niece. That little girl brought something out in Mariah that nobody had really been able to before. She made her feel like a human being, like she had more to her other than the cold, calculating Mariah Moyers, editor-in-chief of Indulge magazine.

That had been the last time Mariah had seen her, happy and carefree, a typical four year-old girl in a new and strange place. She had been conscious then and so full of life, unharmed by a freak car accident that never should've happened in the first place. Remembering all of that, Mariah didn't know if she could handle seeing Cera in the condition she was currently in.

Kesha notice Mariah's discomfort. "You want me to go in first?" Mariah stood for a second, thinking about Kesha's offer. She had had enough of being brave for one day. Mariah nodded and Kesha gently pushed her behind her, reached out, and opened the door. Mariah slowly followed her inside, eyes immediately landing on Cera, lying in the bed hooked up to all kinds of machines and gadgets.

Slowly, the two walked over to the bed and Mariah stared down at her niece. Relief washed over her as when they had first entered the room, Mariah had expected to see a bloody mess, something unrecognizable. She had had nightmares about what Cera might look like after the accident. Surprisingly enough, it was almost the opposite.

Looking down at Cera, she looked better than the condition she was actually in. Her face was slightly swollen and she had some bruises on her cheeks, but other than that, she looked normal…except for the large neck brace, collarbone cast, and head supports that were currently on her. Her dark blonde hair was barely visible underneath it all and her eyes were closed, no doubt on account of the coma she was in.

She looked so tiny in the bed; Mariah didn't know how anyone could even see her in the midst of everything. Immediately, Mariah began to feel overwhelming regret and further despair. Why hadn't she made more of an effort to see Cera? She could've called more, she could've spent more time with her while she had been in New York…and what was going to happen once she woke up? Marlene and Blake were both gone…what were they supposed to tell her? Mommy and Daddy are in Heaven now, but you're still here and that's just the way it is? How did you explain something like that to a five-year old? Not to mention, what would she be like once she woke up?

Mariah looked over at the chart on the wall, wanting to find the name of Cera's doctor or nurse or anybody that could answer some questions. Mariah knew that they were still finding new things out about her condition, but she wanted to know what they had so far.

Up until now, Mariah was sure that her parent's had been taking care of everything along with Blake's parent's, but Mariah wanted to be involved too. She didn't want her mother dictating everything that went on concerning Cera. Mariah had spent so much time not being involved and now regretting it. Well, she was done regretting as far as she was concerned. From now on, she was involved a hundred percent…whether the family liked it or not.

XXXXX

September 15th, 1995

This is almost as bad as being in one of my meetings for work…Mariah began to tap her foot nervously against the leg of the long conference table she was sitting at. Across from her, her mother Janet Moyers, glared at her with such hate, Mariah thought she may disintegrate from the intensity of it. She knew that not going to the burial yesterday would have consequences, but she hadn't truly prepared herself for how harsh they could be.

At about 10:30 last night, Mariah's mother had called her, screaming at her about this and that, telling her what a terrible person she was, and how could she skip her own sister's burial, along with a myriad of other things Mariah couldn't recall. She was 99% sure her mother had been drunk at the time, but she didn't call her on it. At that point, she had just wanted to go to bed and hung up on the woman after about the third time she'd been called a disgrace and told to fly back to that god-forsaken city she'd come from.

Now, here she was at the reading of the wills, something Mariah had dreaded since waking up this morning. They'd been at the law office for almost an hour now, going over bit by bit and piece by piece of everything Marlene and Blake had left behind. Thankfully, Mariah and her parents weren't the only ones present. Blake's parents were there too, as well as Kesha, Bev, and few other people from Blake's family Mariah didn't immediately recognize. The whole process was taking forever and Mariah was ready for it to be over with. Luckily enough, they were on the last few pages of what Marlene had intended to leave Mariah, so soon they could be out of there and on their way.

The lawyer doing the reading adjusted his glasses and looked down at the last page of the will. Clearing his throat, he began with the final proceedings, seeming to want to get out of there just as bad as everyone else.

"Marlene had left specific instructions for what was to be done about her daughter, Cera Elizabeth Fuller, should something happen to herself, her husband, or both. You should all know that both parents agreed on this arrangement, as it is signed and notarized here. That being said, the instructions are as follows:

"Regarding our daughter, Cera Elizabeth Fuller, I, Blake Jensen Fuller and I, Marlene Melinda

Fuller, hereby grant full legal custody to Miss Mariah Michelle Moyers should we be unable

to care for her under the circumstances of death, accidental or purposeful. This is to be

followed indefinitely, as we feel it is in the best interest of our daughter and her well-being.

Miss Moyers is to also have full rights and power of attorney over all of our daughter's assets,

until she reaches age eighteen. This includes all money left in her trust fund under the account

number 0762331."

"That can't be right!"

Mariah and her mother turned to stare at each other, having both shouted the same words in unison. Was this really happening? There was no way that could be true. Janet was the first to speak.

"Why on earth would Marlene leave Cera with Mariah? It doesn't make any sense, there has to be some kind of mistake!"

Mariah surprised herself by agreeing with her mother.

"Yes, are you sure that's what it says?" Mariah was beginning to sweat. Full custody of Cera, just like that. What had Marlene been thinking?

Mariah looked helplessly around the table, hoping anybody would have an answer as to what had just happened. Her father had his head in his hands; apparently not altogether sure of what was even going on in the room. Her mother looked stunned, like she'd just swallowed something disgusting and it was lodged in her throat. Kesha looked utterly bewildered, as did Blake's parents. Bev wore no distinct expression.

The lawyer glanced down at the paper, looking utterly uninterested in what was going on. Mariah wanted to slap him. Couldn't he at least show a little bit of interest? This was a tragedy and he was acting like it was nothing…

"Yes, it's all right here. Would you like to see it?"

"Yes!" Her mother and Mariah once again answered in unison. They glared at each other, but surprisingly Janet gestured to Mariah, signaling with her hand for the lawyer to give her the paper. She snatched it from him and let her eyes travel to the bottom. Sure enough, there it was in black and white. Marlene had left Cera and all of her assets to Mariah.

She continued to stare at the paper, still not believing what she was reading. Why? Mariah was utterly stumped as to the reasoning behind Marlene's decision. She would've thought for sure that Marlene would've left Cera in the care of her parents or Bev, someone who had actually been around! After all, she'd only met Cera a handful of times. Not to mention, what made Marlene think Mariah was capable of caring for a young child?

Mariah felt as if she may be sick. Her hands were sweating and she felt a strong wave of nausea wash over her as she continued to read the will. Her eyes went wide at what she saw.

Apparently Blake's family had had some money. A sizable amount was printed at the bottom under the word "Inheritance." Looking further, Mariah noticed a few other things under the heading as well. Savings bonds, more money, a few personal family heirlooms, as well as an entire trust fund her great-grandparents had started were all there. The last line of print on the page however, is what caught her eye the most.

Mariah stared dumbfounded at the words, at something she found more sensational then the generous amount of money left for her comatose five-year old niece.

It wasn't money or small possessions. Hell, it wasn't even a boat or anything like that. No, this was something much bigger. Literally.

Printed in small black lettering was a statement, clearly saying that Cera was now the heir to an entire piece of real-estate property. It was a few acres of land, located on the coast of Maine complete with a house, a very large, very old, very expensive house. There wasn't a picture, but Mariah really didn't need one. The name itself gave it away. Any house with a name like that had to be massive. And Cera owned it, or according to the will, Mariah did until Cera turned eighteen.

Mariah looked up to see everyone around the table staring at her expectantly. Her mother looked like she may have a real fit if she didn't get her hands on the will soon. Wordlessly, Mariah handed the will to her mother, who immediately began scanning it as if her life depended on it.

Mariah then sat back in her seat, trying to process what had happened and block out the small din of conversation that had begun around the room.

Marlene was dead. She was in the ground, gone forever. She had left Mariah the responsibility of Cera for reasons Mariah still couldn't fathom and she had no idea what she was going to do about that. And Cera had inherited more then she would ever understand, more than Mariah could ever hope to explain to her.

Thousands of dollars, precious possessions of her mother and father, and a gargantuan piece of property called Whipstaff Manor.

XXXX

END CHAPTER 2


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hello again everyone! I know that the space between updates was a bit longer this time, but I finally managed to hammer out the next chapter of "Fireworks." Thank you for your patience. Life and lack of inspiration happens, but obviously I've gotten through it and I hope the result was worth the time.

Before I begin this chapter, I need to credit _CharBunny04_ for her constant input and help in creating Mariah and her story. Without her, this universe would cease to exist and I'm extremely grateful for all of her constant support and ideas.

I also give continuous thanks to those of you who are reading/reviewing/favoriting, both here and on Deviant Art. Honestly, the reviews and comments are what propel me to keep writing this story even through the headaches, so thank you!

As a quick little tidbit, yes, I realize the story takes place in 1995 and that I'm using certain technology that was either in development or didn't exist back then. I'm choosing to use it anyway because it makes it easier for me to move the story along and doesn't require me to do a ton of research that I don't have time for. I know it takes away from the realism, but this is a fictional story anyway, written purely for fun. If it bothers you that much, the solution is simple. Don't read :)

Anyway, I think I've rambled enough. Happy reading!

Anyway, I think I've rambled enough. Get to reading!

**Chapter 3**

September 15th, 1995

7:00pm

"Did you know Marlene and Blake were THIS loaded? I mean, damn!"

Mariah rolled her eyes at Kesha's comment and continued to flip through the mountains of papers stacked in front of her. She, Kesha, and Bev had been seated at the kitchen table in Bev's house for almost two hours, rifling through documents and folders they had obtained at the lawyers' office that morning. Who knew this much work went into planning for the future after a death? Mariah had already known that the process was fairly involved, but really. Having to go over every little thing was exhausting and most of these documents focused on one giant fact.

According to Marlene's will, Mariah now had full custody of Cera.

The whole day had been like a scenario out of the Twilight Zone as far as Mariah was concerned. She still couldn't wrap her head around the fact that Marlene had left her Cera! She had expected some minor things, like that antique sewing machine of their grandmothers or maybe grandpapa's pocket watch…but not Cera. That had been the shock of the day and had ultimately resulted in her mother having the nervous breakdown Mariah knew she herself was on the verge of.

As they had been leaving the lawyer's office, Janet had screamed at Mariah through hysterical tears, blaming her for everything, right down to the fact that Marlene was dead in the first place. She had also vowed that Mariah WOULD NOT have custody of Cera and that she was prepared to contest the will.

Being an educated woman of business, Mariah knew that the process wouldn't be easy, but that her mother would certainly try. At that particular point, Mariah wasn't sure what to think about that whole ordeal. Maybe she should just avoid all of the legal bullshit and sign Cera over to her mother freely.

She had quickly pushed that thought from her mind however, being too mentally exhausted to add another worry to her list. At that time, she had just wanted to go home, drink a few big glasses of wine, and try and figure why things happened the way they did.

Mariah bit her lip, staring blindly at the paper in front of her. She really had no idea what it was, her mind was elsewhere. She wanted some indication as to WHY Marlene had entrusted her with Cera. There had to be a good reason. She was quickly pulled from her thoughts however by Kesha, who couldn't seem to shut up.

"So this house that Cera owns now, or YOU own I guess, is worth over 1.5 million dollars! I mean for real? The place is ancient; you know it was built in the late 1800's? And apparently nobodies lived there since the original owner died! How is it worth that much?"

Kesha had been obsessing over the house Cera had inherited since the three had initially sat down and it was beginning to grate on Mariah's nerves. There were more important things to worry about than a million dollar peace of old sea-front property that they would most likely never even lay eyes on.

She sighed exasperatedly and reached for another folder.

"Kesha, the house isn't an issue right now. Can you please stay focused and try and help us figure out this Cera stuff?"

"I AM focused and this IS Cera stuff. It's a lot of money Miah…"

"Kesha," Bev interjected from her spot at the head of the table. She had been relatively silent until now. "Just drop it okay?"

Mariah shot Bev a silent look of thanks and continued going through the papers. Bank statements, money amounts, nothing here gave any clue as to why Marlene would've left Mariah Cera. This was becoming increasingly frustrating. It's not as if she didn't understand what she was looking at, she understood perfectly. It was the fact that her biggest question would more than likely go unanswered.

Sighing, Mariah stood up and went to the cupboard, pulling out a wine glass. Though this was the first time she'd really been in Bev's house, she seemed to know where everything was automatically. It was a trait she carried with her. It was like she could find anything and everything in a strange place, which really came in handy at times.

Bev got up from the table and walked over the pantry before Mariah could and pulled out a bottle of Merlot. Mariah smiled.

"You know me too well Beverly."

Bev smiled back and opened a drawer, reaching in for a cork popper.

"I think we could all use one of these…"

"Not me, I don't like it."

"We know, Kesha."

Pulling a wine glass for herself out of the cupboard, Bev set it down on the counter and popped the cork on the wine bottle. She then poured two full glasses for herself and Mariah and Mariah accepted hers gratefully. This was much needed as far as she was concerned.

After taking a long swig, Mariah looked around the modest kitchen, once again being plagued by the same nagging question she'd had all day.

"You guys, I can't for the life of me figure out why Marlene would leave Cera to me. I mean, I know that I'm her sister, but I really wasn't around a lot if you look at the big picture. I'd think she'd leave Cera to someone she knew better," she looked at Bev, "Like you. Or even my parents."

"She had to have had her reasons," Kesha said from the table. She had opened her laptop and was booting up the internet, a manila folder in her right hand. Mariah frowned. She was still reading about that house. What was so intriguing about it, especially at a time like this? Kesha was still just as weird as she had always been. Sure, Mariah loved her for it most of the time, but there was a time and a place for that, and this wasn't it.

"Yeah, but what reasons? I wish she would've at least left me some kind of explanation. She had to have known that this would throw me for a loop…"

"You guys, I know you didn't' want to hear about this house anymore but I just found a picture online. You've seriously gotta look at this thing. Miah, it's amazing!"

Mariah had had it. Kesha and the house had grated on her last nerve and she was now prepared to completely lose it on her friend.

"Kesha, I already told you we aren't talking about the house right now! I Do. Not. Care about the house! I care about Cera and why the hell she's mine now so seriously! Stop with the house business before I smack you!"

Taking a few steps towards her friend, Mariah approached the table with every intention of slamming the laptop cover shut. She knew that even touching Kesha's precious computer was pretty much a death wish, but at this point she could've cared less. Enough was enough, period.

The picture on the screen however, stopped her in her tracks.

"Holy shit…"Mariah muttered. Kesha turned around to face Mariah, her eyebrows raised.

"Told you! It's completely gothed out! I mean, it looks like something out of Dracula or whatever! It's so awesome!"

Mariah bit her lip, leaning down a bit lower to get a better look at what was on the screen. While she agreed with the Dracula comparison, she definitely didn't agree with the word 'awesome.' Creepy was what she would've used.

The picture wasn't fantastic quality, but it was good enough for her to make out the general design of the thing. Kesha was right. It was huge. Large towers spired upward towards the sky, ending in rounded points slightly reminiscent to buildings often seen in Russia. Domed roofs made up the upper exterior of the house and large windows covered much of the front.

Clearly the whole thing was made of stone and Mariah silently wondered where the inspiration for this place had come from. It definitely didn't look like anything that belonged in a rural Maine town. Hell, it didn't even look like anything that belonged in the time period that even IT had been built in.

Had Blake even known about this place? Marlene had never mentioned anything and Mariah thought that she at least would've said something considering how much it was worth.

Looking at it, Mariah could see Kesha's point in not understand how it could be valued at that much. It was obviously old and not at all well maintained. The place definitely looked worse for the wear; Mariah could tell that even by the crappy picture she was seeing. Whipstaff Manor. Well, after seeing it, the name certainly fit. It sounded old and foreboding which was exactly the feel Mariah got from looking at it.

She shook her head, looking away from the photography. This really didn't matter right now. What mattered was finding out about Cera.

She leaned up, turning to look at Bev who had not moved the entire time.

"Anyway," Mariah started, reaching once again for the bottle of Merlot, "I think that if we haven't figured this out by tomorrow, we need to go and talk to somebody. Seriously, I need to get this all straightened out before I have to go back to New York on Wednesday."

Mariah suddenly cringed at that thought. She wouldn't be going back to her old life, not with the recent events. What was she going to do? Raising Cera…god that was so weird to think about…raising Cera in New York City did not sound like an ideal plan to Mariah. Sure, she was young enough to where it'd be relatively easy, but Mariah didn't like the idea of raising a child in a penthouse apartment.

Kids needed a backyard, a place to run around, a place that was safe for them to play outside…a place where they COULD play outside.

Bev cleared her throat, placing her empty wine glass in the sink.

"I don't think you should plan on going back so soon," she advised, "You've got a lot to work out here. I'd call them and explain what's happened and that you're going to be gone longer then you originally planned." Kesha turned around, finally pulling her eyes away from Google search to add her two cents.

"Yeah Miah. I mean, you inherited a child. You can't just go back to work. This is gonna take some planning…"

"But you guys, I have no idea what to do!" Mariah interrupted, tossing her free hand in the air, "This has all happened so fast! My world has been completely turned upside and you guys don't have a clue what that feels like! And I don't even know why this is happening!"

Feeling utterly defeated, Mariah slumped into one of the chairs and put her head in her hands. It was starting to pound again. The extra strength Excedrin she had taken before dinner was starting to wear off and it was only a matter of time before the headache got so bad, she wouldn't be able to sleep straight. It wasn't as if she could take anymore either since she'd been drinking and there was no way Bev would let her mix the medication with the booze.

Mariah sighed and put her head down on the table. What she really wanted to do was get drunk, take a Valium, go to bed, and wake up in her regular world again. Maybe that was what she needed to do. Go to bed and wake up only to find that this had all been a bad dream. Marlene would be alive, Cera would be perfectly fine, and Mariah would be back in her apartment, ready to go be the amazing boss she was.

Unfortunately for her, that wasn't happening. Reality was reality and she had to face it, she just didn't know how.

Mariah turned to look at Kesha, who had closed the laptop and placed a hand comfortingly on Mariah's shoulder. Mariah appreciated the gesture. Kesha wasn't much of a "touchy" person so on the rare instances where she was okay with human contact, Mariah took it.

Bev still hadn't moved from her spot in front of the sink. She was staring off into space, looking at nothing in particular. Mariah couldn't help but be a bit annoyed. Kesha had finally stopped obsessing over the house, and now Bev was off in la la land. Perfect. Couldn't she have both her friends there when she needed them? She hated it when people didn't pay attention. She'd fired people for that!

Mariah was about to confront her friend on her inattentiveness, Bev spoke, interrupting her thoughts completely.

"Let's all go into the living room. There's something I need to show you."

Mariah and Kesha looked at each other, both sharing expressions of equal confusion. What was it now? Mariah felt immediate dread as she slowly rose from her seat, picking up her glass of wine along the way. Taking a long sip, she really hoped this wasn't another catastrophic event. She had had enough surprises today; she really couldn't take anymore at this point.

The three women made their way into Bev's living room, Kesha taking a seat in the large, blue recliner and Mariah on the couch. Bev grabbed Mariah a coaster for her glass and set in front of her, but she didn't sit down. Instead, she walked back around the coffee table towards the hall.

"I'll be right back," she said and disappeared down the corridor.

Mariah and Kesha looked at each other and Kesha shrugged. Mariah glanced down the hallway after Bev.

"What do you supposed she's doing?" Mariah asked. Kesha shook her head, suddenly becoming very interested in her fingernails.

"Not a clue." Mariah didn't have long to wonder thankfully enough. Within a minute, Bev was back in the living, taking a seat next to Mariah on the couch. Turning to face her, Mariah could see that Bev had something long and white clutched in her hand. It looked like an envelope.

Looking up at Bev, Mariah gestured to what was in her hands.

"What is that?" Bev took a deep breath and Mariah immediately saw her eyes become wet with tears. Oh god, not more crying. Mariah was done crying for now, why couldn't everybody else be? That was part of her oncoming migraine, all the crying coupled with the stress.

Kesha had leaned forward in her chair, equally curious as to what this new development was.

"Yeah, what is that Bev?"

Clearing her throat, Bev held out her hand to Mariah, clutching the object within. Sure enough, it was an envelope with Mariah's name neatly written on the front.

Her breath immediately caught in her throat. She'd recognize that neat cursive anywhere…because it was exactly like hers. Marlene had obviously written on this envelope and whatever was inside. She looked up at Bev, her friend now struggling to not break down.

"Marlene gave this to me about a year ago, after she and Blake had written their will," Bev explained, "She knew that if something was to happen and all of this were to come out, you'd be so confused and want an explanation. She didn't want to leave you without one…so she gave me this to give to you."

Mariah tentatively took the envelope from Bev, gazing down at it. That was definitely Marlene's handwriting and there was definitely something inside.

"I haven't opened It, I don't even know what's inside, "Bev continued, "All Marley told me was that you'd hopefully understand why she made the decisions she did after you've read it."

Mariah turned the envelope over in her hands, thinking about what Bev had said. Her answers were right here, folded up inside this little white envelope. She couldn't help but smile. That was so like Marlene, making sure all of her bases were covered and that everyone was on the same page. Even in death, her sister was more than on top of things.

Mariah shook her head. She should've known better than to think Marlene would've left her in the dark like this. Looking up at Bev, she managed a weak smile at her friend.

"Thank you," she said leaning over to give her friend a hug. Bev had begun to cry again as she hugged Mariah back.

"Aren't you gonna open it?" Kesha's voice had cut across the room like a knife. Mariah jumped at her friends words; she had almost forgotten she was there. Bev shot her a disproving look.

"Kesha! It's none of our business what's in there…"

"I know! I just was asking if she's gonna open it or not!"

Mariah looked over at her friend, curiosity all over Kesha's face. Mariah couldn't help but laugh. Every time she saw Kesha, she was once again reminded and unsurprised that her friend was the baby of the group.

Constantly asking questions and failing to recognize appropriate times and places for things, Kesha was indeed a true Nosy Nora. She'd never really been good with tact either, something that had constantly gotten her into trouble while they were growing up.

It didn't bother Mariah this time however. With new hope given to her by Marlene's letter, Mariah found it stupid to be annoyed at her friend. Kesha had been there for her in times when nobody else had, and Mariah appreciated her friend's enthusiasm.

Still, she didn't feel that it was the right time to open the letter. Though Bev and Kesha were her best friends and she loved and trusted them like sisters, she wanted to read Marlene's letter in private. For some reason, she wanted this particular thing kept between the two of them.

Placing the letter into her pocket, Mariah rose from the couch, brushing the wrinkles out of her pant legs as she stood.

"Well c'mon guys. We've still got a bunch of crap to go through before tomorrow and I'm on the verge of a mega migraine. Let's get as much done as we can before nine so I can go back to my room and go to bed."

Bev and Kesha stood as well, following Mariah into the kitchen.

"I don't see why you continue to stay at that hotel," Bev said sitting down next to Kesha, opposite Mariah, "I've got plenty of room here."

"Yeah," Kesha chimed in, "I'm staying in the spare room. There's always the couch for you!" She grinned, flipping her laptop open once again.

Mariah rolled her eyes at the comment, reaching once again for the wine bottle. She was starting to feel pretty good now. The headache even seemed to be subsiding. Maybe she wouldn't need her Valium after all…nah. She'd take it anyway.

"Thanks, but I'm good. You know me, I need my alone time. And Kesha for the record, had I decided to stay here, YOUR ass would be on the couch." Kesha blew a raspberry at her friend and began typing on her computer.

Mariah reached for another manila folder; opening it up to reveal that it was the one containing further information on Whipstaff Manor. Hadn't she set that down on the opposite side of the table?

Looking briefly through it, Mariah saw that there really wasn't that much inside. Just the deed, a few tax forms, a few auction receipts…auction?

Mariah leaned in, bringing the piece of paper closer to her eyes so she could read it better. She needed glasses she knew, but why rush? She could still see just fine, just not when she was tired and slightly buzzed like tonight!

This was definitely an auction receipt; one dated all the way back to 1927. It appeared that the house had lain vacant since the builder and previous owner had died in 1902.

Mariah squinted at the name, trying to make out what the print said. This receipt was obviously very old and Mariah was surprised they had been able to hang on to the original for so long. For twenty-five years, it had been property of the state of Maine until it had finally been auctioned off to a Hubert J. Wheaten on October 9th, 1927. That was pretty much it. Whatever else was written on the receipt had faded so badly, there was no way Mariah would be able to read it.

Turning the receipt over on its front, Mariah looked at the next one, this one dated for August 4th, 1932. Again, the property had been auctioned, this time bought by a Reginald Dees, with still no name as to who had originally built the house.

There were four more receipts after that, all dating in the order of 1936, 1941, 1945, and 1948. Mariah was astounded at how many times this house had been sold. And none of these people had ever lived in it?

Puzzled, Mariah began to turn over the last receipt.

"What're you looking at?"

Mariah jumped about twenty feet in the air at Kesha's voice from next to her. It had been so quiet in the room; Mariah had forgotten her friends were there until now. Both women were staring at her, now with equal interest in what Mariah was looking at.

Kesha peered over the top of her laptop and her eyes went wide.

"I thought we weren't looking at stuff about the house anymore tonight Miah?"

Shaking her head, Mariah began to gather the papers that had been inside the folder, intending to put them away.

"We're not, I was just…it's really strange."

Bev and Kesha looked at each other.

"What's strange?" Bev asked leaning forward a little.

Mariah began rifling through the folder, shaking her again as she went.

"You know Whipstaff Manor that Kesha was obsessing about? The house Cera inherited from Blake?" Kesha looked forward, annoyance on her face. Mariah continued.

"Well, I was looking at some stuff on it here…"

"Juust like you yelled at me for doing earlier…"

Mariah ignored Kesha's comment and went on.

"And it's been auctioned like, a million times. Like, nobody has lived there since the original owner, but all of these tycoons kept buying it! I'm not even sure of the year it was built…"

"1884. it's on another one of the papers in there," Kesha interrupted once again, "There's a whole packet about it if you look in the back. It's not much, but it's got basic information. I think most of it is what Blake's grandpa collected over the years."

Mariah and Bev stared at Kesha. As usual, she was a pool of information about the weirdest possible thing in their possession. Don't ask her about current events, which she didn't have a clue about. Ask her about an ancient house with a hazy past and boy she knew what she was talking about.

"How do you know Blake's grandpa collected anything?" Bev asked. Kesha gestured towards the folder again.

"It's on the last receipt. Blake's grandpa apparently bought the house," she gestured towards Mariah, "through auction in 1961 and obviously left it to Blake."

Mariah flipped back to the final auction receipt. Sure enough, there was Blake's grandfather, Eugene Gregory Fuller. So he had left his house to Blake and Blake had left it to Cera! The proof was right here.

Mariah was pulled from her thoughts, once again by Kesha.

"From what I read, this dude named James Theodore McFadden or something built it for his pregnant wife. Unfortunately, that's all that was in there on their personal history, but through my connections online, I could easily find out more."

Mariah was unsurprised by this comment. Kesha had built herself what she liked to call "an empire" on the internet and was quite proud of it. Most of Kesha's life existed within that computer, and Mariah had always found it kind of pathetic.

Marlene had interpreted it as Kesha, naturally not being a people person, compensating for wanting limited interactions with humans face to face.

Mariah hadn't really understood that. Kesha was fun to be around and easy to get along with. She should've had no reason to be afraid of people. She never used to be. This obsession of hers with a virtual life had initially alarmed Mariah, but now it had become so much a part of who Kesha was, Mariah really didn't feel she needed to say anything to her friend about it.

While she had to admit she was curious about this house, Mariah had to pull herself back to reality. She needed to sober up a bit, go home, read Marlene's letter, and figure out what to do about Cera before she went snooping around searching for information about a house that had been vacant for over ninety years. It might be something fun to research when she was bored or had some time, but she couldn't really see that happening either. Apparently now she was going to have a child to raise, and with already little to no free time, this would surely pack her schedule to capacity.

Closing the folder, Mariah set it aside and turned to look at the clock on the microwave. It was a little after nine now. Where had the time gone? She turned towards her friends.

Standing, she picked up her nearly forgotten glass of wine and finished the last little bit. It was time to go home as far as she was concerned.

Looking at Bev, Mariah pushed her chair out and walked over to the sink, depositing her glass inside.

"Well ladies, I think it's time for me to go back to my room and get to bed." Bev stood up as well, nodding in agreement, and Kesha also nodded, closing her laptop. A large yawn escaped her mouth as she began to put her things away.

"I was kind of thinking the same thing," she agreed. Looking over at the clock, she laughed. "You guys we're so old! Its nine o'clock and we're ready for bed, how sad is that? Remember when we used to stay up till seven in the morning?"

Bev laughed. "You guys stayed up till seven in the morning. I always passed out around midnight."

Mariah laughed as well. She was happy she and her friends were sounding normal for the first time since everything had happened. Maybe things would get better eventually.

Mariah packed up all of her things, placing them into the briefcase she brought. She looked at Kesha who was still putting her precious laptop away.

"We're going to breakfast tomorrow, right Kesh?" Kesha nodded.

"Yep. And Bev's letting us drive her car aren't you Bevvie?" Kesha patted her friend roughly on the shoulder.

Bev chucked. "Yes, but you'd better be freaking careful, both of you. I would join you, but I've got some things to do at my parent's house."

Kesha smirked.

"You know we'll be super careful. I'll even drive since Miah isn't used to it…" Mariah smacked Kesha on the shoulder.

"Hey, just because I live in New York doesn't mean I've forgotten how to drive!" Kesha laughed as the three made their way to the front door. Bev was going to drive Mariah back to the hotel and Kesha was apparently riding along.

As soon as the three were in the Jeep, the conversation immediately turned back to Cera and what they were going to do about her. Hearing her friends talk about the situation gave Mariah comfort. She knew she wasn't alone in this thing. Kesha and Bev would be right there to help her, every step of the way. They really were the best friends Mariah could've asked for.

She reached down next to her and patted her pocket. Marlene's letter was still there, waiting to be read. In addition to her friends' support, knowing that the letter was there gave Mariah new hope as well. Marlene would explain what was going on. She always did.

XXXX

The storm had come on unexpectedly, beginning just shortly after Mariah had entered the lobby of the Marriot. She hadn't been surprised. Even though she had been away from Grantsville for so long, she still remembered the abnormal weather patterns that came along with living in a Midwestern state.

Normally it annoyed her to no end, but she felt just a little different as she slipped her room key into its slot outside her door. Torrential rain beat heavily on the glass-paneled windows of the room as Mariah set her purse on the ataman next to the door.

Altogether, it had been a pretty productive night as far as Mariah was concerned; mostly due to the secret letter she had received from Marlene. Mariah had been flabbergasted when Bev had presented her with it, not knowing what to think at first. What would the letter say and would it give Mariah the answers she was looking for? She truly hoped so. She didn't want to go another day not understanding why Marlene had left her charge of Cera.

She was glad her friends had not asked her to read it in front of them. She loved Bev and especially Kesha like they were two more sisters she never had, but this was a private matter as far as Mariah was concerned. Perhaps she would eventually fill them in on what the letter had read, but only if she felt it necessary.

Continuing to listen to the storm, Mariah undressed quickly, changing into a pair of silk pajamas and climbing into her bed almost immediately afterwards. Usually Mariah took a lot longer to get ready for bed, but tonight was of course different from normal. She wanted to get to the bottom of things and to do that, she had to read Marlene's letter.

"Speaking of which…" Mariah mumbled annoyingly to herself as she climbed back out of the bed immediately after getting into it. The letter was still tucked away in her purse across the room and she was slightly startled at the coldness of the floor on her bare feet as she strode to the ataman to retrieve it.

Reaching into her purse, Mariah pulled out the white envelope, her name written neatly in black ink on the front in Marlene's perfect handwriting. A lump began to form in her throat at just seeing it.

Marlene's hand had touched this paper. She had written on it her own self, exactly like she had done to the letter inside. Mariah could've quite possibly been holding one of the last things her sister ever touched.

Slowly making her way back to the bed, Mariah settled into it, pulling the fluffy duvet up over her legs. The storm continued to rage outside, but Mariah barely noticed it now. All she could think about was the fact that there were answers, right here in her hand…and she wasn't altogether sure if she was prepared for what they may say.

Mariah continued to stare at the envelope, trying to mentally prepare herself for what was inside. She knew that it was quite possible she wouldn't like what she read. It was possible that there would still be no answers to the questions Mariah wanted. It was possible that there wasn't even anything inside!

Mariah shook her head at these thoughts. She knew Marlene better than that. There was no way her sister would've been so cryptic as to just give Mariah an empty envelope and expect her to know what that meant. It wasn't like her at all. In fact, that was one, rare, personality trait that the sisters shared. They were both extremely direct. You would get no beating around the bush from either of them.

Taking a deep breath, Mariah turned the envelope over, seeing that it wasn't sealed, just tucked in. She chuckled a bit at this. Typical Marlene, anything to conserve energy and paper. She probably expected Mariah to re-use the envelope, even though she, Marlene, had written on the front of it.

Shaking her head, Mariah carefully un-tucked the envelope, watching herself so as not to damage or rip it. She wanted to save it, because it was something Marlene had made actual contact with. She planned on saving this entire document for the rest of her life, so so much for re-using the envelope! Sorry Marley, but this time you lose!

Mariah was quickly brought out of her musings by the piece of folded notebook paper she saw inside. So it wasn't empty. Two points there.

Feeling slightly lightheaded, Mariah reached into the envelope and pulled out the paper, setting the envelope carefully on the bedside table next to her. She turned the paper over in her fingers a few times, once again absorbing the fact that her sister had touched this. Her hand had run over it as she had written the words. Her fingers had carefully folded it into perfect rectangular sections.

Mariah took a moment to hug the letter to her chest and then brought it to her nose, hoping to smell even the slightest trace of her sister. Sadly, all she smelled was paper, but decided it was enough to know that Marlene had at least touched it.

Inhaling sharply, Mariah unfolded the paper, ready to see what her sister had left for her to discover. It was only a single page, and Mariah hoped that would be enough to answer all of her questions, but still, it was better than nothing.

Once Mariah had the letter completely unfolded, she took a moment to stare at it, taking in the general appearance of the document. There it was, rows of Marlene's neat handwriting, the same writing on the front of the envelope, handwriting so similar to Mariah's own.

Fighting back tears, Mariah's eyes skimmed to the top of the page. Sure enough, there was her name, the start of the letter and hopefully the start of her answers. Taking one more deep breath and feeling so anxious she could barely stand it, Mariah began to read.

_Miah,_

_ Hey sis! How's life? Probably pretty crappy right now since you're reading this letter, but before I get into all the details, I just wanna tell you it'll be okay. You're so strong, Kesha and Bev are strong, and you guys will pull through it together. You really need each other right now, so don't push them away. You were always so good at that, stop it right now! I'll know if you don't and you don't wanna know what the consequences will be, trust me._

_Anyway, if you're reading this letter, obviously it means that I'm not here anymore to tell you in person why I made the decisions I did. I know you and I know you're probably freaking out right now because you've probably already had a lot to deal with, but once again, it'll be okay. I knew what I was doing when I chose you to take care of Cera now that Blake and I can't for whatever reason. I really feel like out of everybody I knew, including Mom and Bev, that you would be the best person for her…and here's why._

_I'll start by saying that it's not because we're identical twins. The fact that you look just like me has nothing to do with it. Cera knows who her mother is and she knows who her aunt Miah is. She can easily differentiate between the two of us, no matter what age she is right now. It's also not because of your financial situation. True, it did give me peace of mind when I was writing up the will to know that Cera would be financially stable with you, but once again, that's not the main reason._

_You've spent so much time closed off from the rest of us and believe me, I understand why. I know that Mom and Dad weren't the best parents in the world, especially to you, and yes, part of me is worried that Cera would have to deal with the same things we did. I love our parents, but I don't want them raising my daughter, period. With Bev, I love her like she's another sister, but I feel as if Cera wouldn't get the proper chance to experience all the things she can in life in her care. I feel like she would be overprotected and coddled and she needs to LIVE! I don't doubt that Bev would do a great job raising her, but in the end, she's not blood and I feel that to have that relationship with someone who is blood-related is very important for Cera._

_The truth is, you two need each other Miah. You both still have so much to learn about life and people and loving others, lessons that I feel you can only teach each other. I know that you're busy and I know your lifestyle really doesn't have room for a child right now, but it's really something I feel you NEED. You need to live just as much as she does, and I don't think you have been Miah, I really don't. You're going to miss out on so many things and I simply can't allow it any longer. _

_That being said, I know that Cera would be the happiest with you. You're her aunt, her blood, and the closest thing she's going to have to me ever again. You know that Cera is the most important thing in my world and you're the person I trust above all else. I can only leave my most precious possession in the hands of the person I trust the most. Distance has kept us apart, but our bond as sisters has remained strong. I've felt it and I know you have too, even when our lives have gotten in the way. _

_I hope that this letter has given you a better understanding as to why Cera is yours now. It may not have been what you wanted to hear, but it's the truth. You've never once failed at anything you've attempted to do Miah, and I know that raising her will be no different. YOU CAN DO IT. I believe in you and so does Blake. Take good care of her, I know you will._

_Wherever you go, whatever you see, even though I am gone, my sister you'll be._

_Love you,_

_Marley_

Mariah stared at the letter, not really seeing it anymore, but rather looking through it. That was her sisters reasoning? She and Cera needed each other? Mariah looked around the room, still holding the letter in her hands. She really couldn't fathom what she had just read at this point.

Marlene felt that Mariah hadn't truly lived. She felt that she still had life lessons to learn, apparently ones that she could only learn from raising a five-year old. Mariah shook her head, reading over the letter three more times.

Yes, it was all there, laid out on the table. Marlene's reasons for leaving Cera with Mariah hadn't been any of the normal reasons one would think to leave a child in somebodies care. It wasn't finances, it wasn't because they were twins, it was purely…emotional.

Mariah set the letter on the table and got out of bed, pacing around the room, rolling over in her mind what it had said. It was so like Marlene. Basing life-changing decisions purely on emotion was something her sister tended to do a lot, a trait Mariah had never understood. Thinking with your heart only got you into trouble. That was why God had given human beings brains as far as Mariah was concerned. The brain was supposed to make all of the important decisions, your heart was just supposed to keep blood flowing through your veins so you didn't die.

Striding over to the bedside table, Mariah picked up the letter and read through it once again. Sure enough, the wording hadn't changed. In addition to explaining her reasoning for leaving Cera with Mariah, Marlene had also explained why she hadn't left Cera with Bev or her parents, reasons Mariah found perfectly legit.

Still, what about Blake's family? She hadn't even mentioned them…she knew that he was an only child, but his parents were decent. Had they even been considered? Mariah shook her head, letting her hands fall to her sides, the letter still clutched tightly in her right.

Either way, these questions were pretty much a moot point now. There was written proof, from her sister, Cera's mother, on two documents now that she wanted Cera left in Mariah's care. Unless she decided to contest the will, which she definitely didn't want to do, Mariah really had no choice in the matter. Marlene had been specific in her wishes for Cera. She trusted Mariah above all else…and she still considered them close as sisters even though Mariah hadn't been there. Those were perhaps the words that resonated with Mariah the most. She hadn't lost her sister, though God knows she had tried.

You two need each other…at that thought, those words made so much sense. Why did she continuously push people away? Was she scared of losing them? Was she scared of betrayal? Or was she just afraid at failing in general? Mariah didn't know, but apparently Marlene felt that Cera could help her find the answers to those questions and more.

BANG!

"Holy…!"

A large clap of thunder brought Mariah out of her thoughts, nearly making her jump out of her skin. Walking slowly over to the window, she peered out, watching the storm for just a moment. The rain was still coming down in sheets and white lightening slithered across the sky, almost like a group of snakes in search of their next kill.

Mariah shivered a bit, surprised at how chilly it was by the window. Looking over her shoulder, she glanced at the clock. It was close to midnight already. Mariah was astonished. Had she really been sitting there that long? It hadn't felt like it…it really was amazing how fast time flew by while you were contemplating life-changing situations.

Deciding she should probably get to bed considering she was meeting Kesha for breakfast tomorrow, Mariah turned back towards the window, pulling the heavy curtains shut on either side.

Wrapping her arms around herself, she made her way back to the bed, got into it and leaned over to turn off the lamp. Another large clap of thunder made her jump once more in the darkness, forcing her to pull the duvet up to her chin. She really hated thunderstorms, especially the thunder part. That was one reason why she loved living in New York. Storms of this magnitude were a rarity and Mariah welcomed the change.

Snuggling deeper into the bed, she continued to listen to the storm, trying to block it out with thoughts of the letter and everything she and her friends had talked about tonight.

She now knew why Marlene had left her Cera. Everything her sister had said made sense in a way, but there were still so many questions Mariah had that would go unanswered forever. That feeling was unnerving, but there was really nothing she could do about it.

Essentially, she had a daughter now. A daughter that was going to be very confused and upset and heartbroken once she was told what had happened to her parents. Mariah was dreading that moment, possibly even more than she had dreaded coming back to Granstville, possibly more than she had dreaded having to be in close quarters with her parents again. Hell, as of right now, she had no idea when Cera was even going to wake up!

Without warning, tears came to Mariah's eyes once again as she wept openly into the pillow. She had overcome so many challenges in her life. She had dealt with and gotten through scenarios and situations that would make anybody else want to run for the door. She worked well under pressure and knew how to get things done. She had never really been scared of a challenge…until now.

For the first time in a long time, Mariah felt terror. Pure, unbridled terror that she couldn't fathom or contain that this point. Somebody else's life and future was now in her hands. What the hell was she going to do?

XXXX

The Village Inn located in Lakeside Plaza, the ONLY shopping center in Grantsville, was as crowded as Mariah remembered it being. Mariah wondered vaguely if there was a seniors convention in town because the place was crawling with them. There were old people everywhere and it wasn't even four o'clock on a weekday!

Upon entering the restaurant, she and Kesha had requested to sit in the smoking section, though neither of them smoked. They had chosen this particular spot because they wanted privacy, and the non-smoking side was overrun with senior citizens. Not that they would probably be able to hear what they were saying, most of them looked like they were inches from death, but Mariah wanted them to have as much privacy as possible.

Basically she was running on little to no sleep. The storm last night, coupled with her restless thoughts of Marlene's letter and Cera had wreaked havoc on her ability sleep. She estimated she had gotten maybe two hours, which wasn't something she was unfamiliar with, but also not something she enjoyed doing.

The first thing she had done once she and Kesha had sat down was order the largest pot of coffee they had and plenty of sugar. Kesha had stared at Mariah, commenting that her friend never used to drink coffee. Mariah had shrugged, saying she needed to wake up fast and that her usual Diet Pepsi wasn't going to do the trick this time.

Once the coffee arrived, Mariah immediately grabbed her cup, filling it to the brim and generously applying sugar. Kesha continued to stare, taking a gulp of the orange juice she had ordered.

"Sleep well last night?" her friend asked in her usual sarcastic manner. Mariah sighed, grabbing a stir stick for herself and vigorously stirring the drink.

"Like a lamb." Mariah responded in an equally sarcastic ton, picking the coffee up and taking a large swig of it. She immediately began coughing and hacking the second the liquid touched her throat. It was hot! And bitter! And…yuck!

Kesha leaned forward, slightly alarmed and began hitting Mariah on the back. Mariah flailed her arms, pushing her friend away.

"For god sakes Kesha stop, I'm not choking to death!" Kesha leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You're supposed to sip the coffee genius, not inhale it like it's your life's blood. It's people like you who cause places like McDonalds and Burger King to put obvious warnings on their cups." Kesha began to gesture with her hands. "Caution!" she quoted, "Product: HOT!" Mariah shook her head, waving her hands in exasperation. She really didn't want to deal with Kesha's attitude this morning.

"Just shut up Kesha," she said, resting her forehead on the table.

Kesha leaned forward, slightly concerned.

"Hey, I'm sorry. What's the matter? Did you read Marlene's letter? Is that why you didn't sleep again?"

Mariah looked up, rubbing her eyes with her hands. God she was tired. And Kesha was asking her all these questions at once…

"One question at a time please…" she said, reaching once again for the coffee. Not giving her friend a chance to respond, Mariah began to reply to the questions Kesha had asked. "Yes I read Marlene's letter. Yes that's why I didn't sleep again. That and the fucking storm of the century."

Kesha nodded.

"Yeah, that was pretty gnarly. Still have problems with those huh?"

Mariah shook her head. "It was just annoying." By the look on Kesha's face, Mariah could tell that her friend didn't believe her. At that point however, she really didn't care. Kesha took another sip of her orange juice as Mariah began to re-doctor her coffee. She was going to try again and if this attempt failed, Diet Pepsi it was.

"So what did the letter say?" Kesha asked.

Mariah put the coffee to her lips, taking a smaller sip this time. It still tasted awful, but not quite as awful. A few more sugars and she should be good to go.

Setting the cup down, she looked at Kesha, trying to decide what to tell her friend. She didn't want to go into exact details, but she knew she should give Kesha the gist of what the letter had said. How was she supposed to ask her friends for support if they had no idea what had been said?

Clearing her throat, Mariah opened yet another sugar packet, emptying it into the coffee.

"Well, basically it said why she chose me to take custody of Cera." Another sip. Still not sweet enough. Maybe one more sugar…

Kesha raised her eye brows.

"And…?"

Mariah cleared her throat once again, grabbing for her stir stick. How many sugars was that now, twelve?

"And…she said that she feels like Cera and I need each other." When Kesha didn't respond, Mariah continued, braving the coffee once again. Finally passable.

"And, that's basically it. You know Marlene; everything's based on feelings and emotions. She doesn't think with her head, she never did. She even said that it wasn't because she and I were identical or because I'm financially well-off!"

Kesha's eyes widened, "Well that's what I originally thought." Mariah nodded in agreement, taking yet another sip of her coffee. It was actually kind of good now that she had the proper flavoring in it.

"Me too!" she responded, "But apparently it's all about this "needing each other" thing. What I "need" right now, is a solution to what I'm going to do now that I basically went from non-mother to mother in a span of a few days. I mean, I'm gonna have to make some major changes Kesha! Major. Changes. Like, I can't raise a five-year old in New York City!"

"Why not, people do it all the time-"

"Yes but I don't want to," Mariah leaned forward, attempting to emphasize her point. She really didn't want to raise Cera in New York! Children that grew up in the city often ended up depressed and withdrawn and emo or whatever! At least that's what she had heard.

That's not Marlene had wanted for Cera, for her to be cooped up in a penthouse all day with no yard to run around in, no trees, no blue sky…Mariah couldn't do that to Marlene's vision and she certainly couldn't do it to Cera. Marlene had said it herself. She trusted Mariah with her most prized possession. She wasn't going to let Cera become one of those pathetic teenage train-wrecks she saw on the subway every morning. And with what Cera had been through, growing up in the city was like paving that path in gold for her. C'mon Cera, the Doors of Depression and are open and waiting for YOU!

Mariah shook her head. Not happening, not on her watch. She took another swig of coffee, looking at Kesha,

"I mean, I'm going to have no idea what I'm doing as it is! I don't wanna be worrying about doing my job and raising her! My job is too demanding, I'm there constantly, all of that is gonna change now!" Kesha nodded in agreement.

"Speaking of your job, have you called them yet? There's no way you're gonna be able to fly back on Friday, not with everything that's happened. You've got too many other things here to work out before you go back there."

Mariah paled. She hadn't thought about work at all, not since she'd gotten the news about Cera anyway. She had completely forgotten that she was supposed to fly back on Friday, which was of course going to be way too soon now, given the circumstances. Cera was in her custody now, and in a coma. There was no way Mariah could fly all the way back to New York while her niece lay here helpless and alone!

Grabbing for her purse, Mariah began searching for her Blackberry.

"Fuck, I completely forgot about that. I'm gonna have to call Marci and have her get a hold of Ben. He's going to have to hold down the fort while I'm gone. I know I won't be able to reach him directly; he's in the Bahamas with his new boy toy. She'll be able to leave him a message though…" Ben Hooper was Mariah's friend, as well as her second-in-command at Indulge. He hadn't known about Mariah's family tragedy, having been in the Bahamas since a week prior. She knew this was going to be quite a shock for him, but she also knew it wasn't anything he couldn't handle.

Mariah knew that he could run her office just as well, if not better than she could. He had done it before when she had had to be out of the country or for any other reason. She trusted him with her affairs as much as she could trust anyone and knew that he wouldn't burn the place down.

As Mariah was dialing Marci's phone number, their breakfast arrived at the table, along with a Diet Pepsi. This was a surprise. She hadn't ordered one…She looked at Kesha, who grinned in response. Mariah mouthed a thank you to her friend, just as Marci picked up the phone.

"Mariah Moyer's office, this is Marci."

Mariah cleared her throat, immediately switching from distraught new mother to editor-in-chief of a major magazine. The two personas were like night and day, as if it were like a light switch being turned on and off.

"Marci, its Mariah."

On Mariah's end, she heard something heavy drop the floor followed by a few curse words and lots of fumbling around from Marci. Mariah sighed. That girl never could control her nerves. She really needed to calm down if she wanted to even have a prayer of doing anything other than just being somebodies assistant one day. As of right now, she was NOT on that track.

Mariah rolled her eyes at her assistant's apparent incompetence. "Relax Marci; don't have a heart attack for god's sake. I really hope you didn't just break something."

"No, no of course not Mariah! I just…I wasn't expecting a call from you-"

"Why wouldn't you expect a call from me, it's my office is it not?" Marci fumbled over her words, not managing to form a complete sentence. Mariah was pretty sure she was attempting to tell her that everything was fine and so on and so forth. She looked at Kesha, rolling her eyes once again. Kesha just raised her eyebrows, continuing to eat her pancakes and hash browns.

"Be quiet Marci, I really can't figure out what you're trying to say. Anyway, the reason I'm calling is because I'm not going to be flying back to New York as scheduled. In fact, I may be up to a few weeks late."

Marci gasped on the other end of the phone.

"Oh wow Mariah. Is everything okay?" Mariah began to absently stir the forgotten coffee in front of her. Her first instinct was to of course fire back at Marci, telling her it was none of her business and that even though Mariah wasn't there, a professional attitude still needed to be maintained, etc.

She decided against it however, suddenly feeling very tired. No, everything wasn't okay; far from it actually. But Mariah couldn't let on to that fact. She had to remain strong, or at least seemingly strong. Right now, she felt anything but.

Clearing her throat, Mariah pushed the coffee aside, deciding she was done with it for good and reached for her Diet Pepsi.

"I've got some things I need to take care of here and it's going to take time," Mariah explained, "I need you to get ahold of Ben and fill him in on what's happened. I'd call him myself, but as I said, I'm very busy here and I don't really have time to explain everything to him. Just tell him that I had a family emergency and needed to go back to Kansas and that my trip is running longer than expected. He'll know what to do; he's very capable as you know."

Mariah could hear Marci writing on the other end of the phone. Despite the girl being utterly too skittish, she really was quite reliable when it came down to the wire. She knew that she would get in contact with Ben and then he would see to it that things were taken care of during her extended absence.

Mariah shuddered a bit. Her absence was going to be more extended than even she had originally planned. It was well on its way from being extended to permanent. This however, was something Mariah chose not to think about as she wrapped up her conversation with Marci. She promised to get ahold of Ben as soon as possible and to contact Mariah immediately once she did.

Feeling relatively okay with how the conversation had gone, Mariah said goodbye to Marci and hung up the phone, dropping it once again back into her purse. She looked up at Kesha, who had already finished eating. Mariah laughed.

"God, hungry much?" Kesha shrugged.

"I was slightly puckish, yes. " She put her elbows on the table. "What did work say? You always sound like s such a bitch when you talk to the people that work for you." Mariah shrugged, taking a bite of her Denver omelet. It was cold. Oh well, she had let it sit so it was her own fault.

"I need to get my point across, it's that simple," Mariah answered, pushing her plate aside. "Marci said she'd give my message to Ben. She's pretty reliable so I know he'll get the information he needs."

"Well Miah, that's good to know," Kesha responded, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Mariah sighed. Didn't she ever get tired of that?

For as long as she'd known her, Kesha had always been horribly sarcastic, almost to the point of where her mouth had gotten her in serious trouble. She had a serious case of the "doesn't know when to shut up" syndrome, otherwise known as "diarrhea of the mouth." Usually Mariah loved her for it, but today, she just found it irritating. She started to retort to her friend's comment, but Kesha interrupted her before she could.

Pulling on a strand of blonde hair, Kesha reached across the table and began idly fiddling with the salt and pepper shakers. She couldn't seem to sit still, Mariah noticed. Another common "Kesha trait"-chronic antsyness.

"So anyways," Kesha started, "What kind of plan are you making for Cera? You don't wanna raise her in New York-"

"For perfectly legitimate reasons," Mariah interrupted, "I basically have to do a 180 with my life right now and start all over. I just have no idea how I'm gonna do it."

"Well the problem is, you're pretty established in New York. Are you sure you wanna quit your job and everything? Cause that's what you're gonna have to do if you relocate…"

Mariah nodded, sighing. "I know and believe me; I'm far from comfortable with the idea. But I can't put myself first anymore. It's all about her now…"

Saying those words was strange for Mariah. Her entire life, she had only ever had herself to worry about. Her needs came first; she could do whatever she wanted, be whomever she wanted, and now that was all gone in the blink of an eye. Mariah put her chin on the table.

"I just think I'm way too selfish to be a mother-figure Kesh…"

Kesha shook her head. "No Miah, you're not. I know that this whole thing is really alien to you, but I think you're gonna be a great parent. You're just freaked out right now, like anyone would be. You've had a lot of major changes happen over the span of less than a week. But that's why we're planning ahead. It's all gonna work out."

Mariah looked at her friend, suddenly very grateful that Kesha was here to help her. She knew that it couldn't be easy for her; Kesha was normally not an "emotional" kind of person. She was extremely logic-based, just like Mariah. That was perhaps why they worked so well together.

"I really hope so," Mariah replied.

Kesha nodded, pursing her lips just as she always did when in serious thought. After a few seconds, her friend leaned over, reached into her bag and pulled out a small notebook and a pen. Looking at Mariah, she asked, "What kinds of requirements do you want slash need for Cera? Let's, drum roll please, make a list!"

Mariah sat up straighter. This was her kind of thing! She had lists for everything and anything from work agendas, to the grocery store, to what she had spent all month, to her events planned out months in advance. It was an anal habit, but Mariah was an anal person by nature and it worked well for her. Hell, she hadn't screwed up yet! She grinned at Kesha, who returned the expression.

"You know me too well," she said. Kesha nodded, obviously pleased with herself.

"Of course! I know basically everything."

Mariah rolled her eyes.

"So!" Kesha said opening the notebook and positioning the pen over it, "Number one. What is the number one thing you want for Cera?"

Mariah didn't even need to think about it.

"A stable home where she can be a kid; not be cooped up in some apartment in a city where it rains constantly. I want her to be as happy as possible."

Kesha nodded, writing all of this on the paper in her small, neat handwriting. Mariah continued.

"I also want her to be in a good school system. She needs to get proper education of course. Really, I just wanna make sure she grows up in a place that Marlene would've wanted her to."

Kesha nodded, not taking her eyes off the paper. "That's not here of course."

Mariah nodded. "That's not here." She sat back in the booth, thinking about what she had just said. Was it really right of Mariah to take Cera away from the place she had known as home for five years? Her entire family was here, everything she knew was here. She was going to have enough to deal with without having to move to a new place…

Mariah shook her head. No, there was no way she could move back to Grantsville and it wasn't just because of her parents. Where would she work, number one? She was positive there were no jobs available in her field anywhere close to here. They were surrounded by corn for god's sake! The closest major city was Kansas City and that was at least two hours away by car. Not to mention, she didn't want to raise Cera in the city.

As far as she was concerned, Mariah didn't have a choice. She would have to move Cera to a new place, as hard as it would be for the both of them. They could live in neither New York nor Grantsville.

Mariah nodded, silently agreeing with herself. "We won't be living in New York or Grantsville in the end," she said. Kesha nodded, jotting down the last few words on the notebook paper before looking up Mariah.

"So the question is," Kesha began, "Where will you guys go? If not here or there, then where?"

Mariah laced her fingers together and let her chin rest on top of her hands. That was a great question. She really had no idea. She knew people in Chicago; she would also have no problem getting a job there.

Plus, she knew of a suburb just twenty minutes away by car called Naperville that she figured would be an ideal place to raise Cera. Her friend Lisa lived there so Mariah would at least know somebody…

The idea was demolished as quickly as it had come. In moving to Naperville, Mariah would have to buy a house. Not that she didn't have plenty of money; she did, but having a house payment made her mildly nervous. She'd always lived in places provided for her by wherever she was working or going to school.

In college, a scholarship had paid for her housing. Indulge paid for her current apartment in New York. And now that she had a load of extra expenses that came along with raising Cera, she definitely wouldn't have as much extra money as she currently did.

Then there was the fact that no matter what kind of job she took, she'd inevitably take a pay-cut, a pretty substantial one more than likely. You didn't make much more than and editor-in-chief of a major magazine in New York City unless you were the president or a celebrity or something.

"Miah, you awake?" Mariah was brought out of her thoughts by Kesha, waving her hand in front of her face. Mariah shook her head.

"Yeah sorry. I was just thinking…" Mariah rattled off all the concerns she had just thought of to Kesha. Her friend listened, taking notes diligently and giving input when necessary.

"Yeah, I can definitely see why you're afraid of a house payment. But I mean, you're gonna have to pay for somewhere decent for you two to live," Kesha pointed out, looking over the list.

"I know, and that's what I can't decide and it's not like I have a thousand years to do it. I need make so many-"

"Unless…"

Kesha was looking down at the table, suddenly becoming very interested in what was stuck to it. Mariah knew that expression. Kesha had an idea, one that she had apparently been waiting to bring up to Mariah this entire conversation. Ha, I'm surprised it took this long for her to finally crack…Mariah thought to herself.

Raising her eyebrows, Mariah looked at her friend who was still picking at the table.

"What Kesha? Just spill it, I know you're dying to."

Kesha looked up, a light of excitement in her eyes.

"Well, you don't want a house payment right?"

Mariah cocked her head.

"Riiiggght…"

"Annd…you want Cera to grow up somewhere nice and safe and where the people are…friendly right?"

Mariah interest began to simmer a bit. She had an idea of where this was going. And if that was the case, the answer was a definite no.

"Riiiiggght…"

"And you want her to have plenty of room to run around and stuff right?"

Mariah shook her head. Leave it to Kesha. Mariah knew exactly what her friend was insinuating and she only had one answer for her.

"Absolutely not."

"But Miah, it's-"

Mariah shook her head once again and put her hands up as if the further emphasize her point.

"Out of the question."

"It's free though…"

Mariah leaned forward.

"I am NOT, I repeat NOT moving my five-year old niece into a ninety-something year old house that nobody has lived in since the Stone Age! I'm not doing it Kesha!"

"But Miah, it's FREE…"

"It is not free Kesha! It's not free. Yes, it's an inheritance so yes, I won't have a house payment, but there are property taxes that are probably through the roof considering the size of the property itself. Not to mention, like I said, nobody has lived in it for like, ninety year! It's probably, no, it's DEFINITELY so outdated, that I'd have to spend a bunch of money fixing it up to make it livable! Plus, we know nothing about it, we aren't even a hundred percent sure where it's located-"

"And you make several valid points!" Kesha interrupted, "But I happen to know where it's located, who's in charge of the real estate of it all, what we need to do to access the inheritance-"

Mariah put her hands up once again.

"No Kesha."

"Just hear me out-"

Mariah shook her head. She was getting extremely frustrated. Was Kesha crazy? Had she finally lost her mind completely?

"This isn't one of those weird games you play Kesha! This isn't fantasy land, this isn't the internet! This is real life! And it's gotta be the worst idea-"

Mariah was interrupted by their waitress, returning to the table with the bill and to clear their plates.

"Will there be anything else today ladies?" the woman asked happily. Both Kesha and Mariah ignored her, glaring each other down instead. The waitress took the hint, quickly gathered the plates and made her way away from the table.

Once she was gone, Kesha was the first to speak.

"I'm just saying that it might be worth it to at least go look," she leaned over, once again reaching into her bag. "Do they have Wi-Fi here…?" Kesha mumbled to herself as she pulled out her laptop. Mariah gasped, exasperated.

"Kesha, don't even bother pulling that thing out…"

"Just wait a second Miah; I just wanna show you something!" Mariah leaned back in the booth, feeling utterly irritated at her friend. Kesha had never been good at listening to ANYBODY when it really mattered. Mariah didn't care what her friend had to show to her on the computer. She had already made up her mind. NO way in hell was she moving Cera to that place. No. Way.

Kesha had gotten the laptop booted up in a matter of seconds and began furiously typing away on the keyboard. Mariah rolled her eyes. This really was a waste of time. They should be talking about more important things, like where the hell she and Cera were REALLY going to live. Kesha of course, had other ideas.

"Obviously we know that it's called Whipstaff Manor and it's located in Maine. More specifically," Kesha turned the laptop so Mariah could see the picture displayed on the screen, "a small town called Friendship." Mariah stared at the picture in front of her. Her jaw dropped. What she saw was hardly what she expected. She knew Maine was known for its beautiful landscapes, especially in fall, but she had no idea it was this breathtaking.

Colors of orange, read, and yellow covered as far as the eye could see and it was set right on the ocean. White boats dotted the harbor and the dark blue water glistened in the sunlight. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was so picturesque; Mariah thought it looked like something straight off of a calendar or postcard; definitely not the constant smog and rain of New York, or the unpredictability of Kansas.

"It's a boating town," Kesha added, "Annnnd…" she hit a button the keyboard, changing the screen immediately from the beautiful picture to a map. Mariah studied it, trying to figure out ahead of time what her friend was indicating. She didn't have to wait long, as Kesha answered her question for her.

"…it's only a thirty minute drive from Bangor! So see, you'd be able to get a job easily! In fact…" Kesha hit another button and the screen changed once again, this time to a website that looked like it was for a magazine.

At the top of the page in large blue letters, the word Seascape was printed. Mariah leaned closer. She had heard of this magazine. It was exclusively a women's magazine, based in Bangor, geared towards women who lived in the general area, mostly those who were into boating, sailing, and that kind of thing; definitely a far cry from Mariah's area of expertise.

Before she could say anything, Kesha continued.

"They're hiring right now, for a new," Kesha twirled her hands, "editor-in-chief! You'd be hired on the spot, I just know it! With your credentials, you'd be a shoo-in. And from what I could tell, it won't be as bad of a pay cut as I'm sure you're thinking!"

Mariah looked at her friend incredulously. She was pretty sure that Kesha had no idea what kind of pay cut Mariah was expecting, not to mention she was almost positive a job at a LOCAL magazine as opposed to a national one didn't pay nearly as much, not even in the general ballpark.

Kesha continued.

"They're taking applications and doing interviews right now. Since you're staying longer anyways, you could probably-"

Mariah put up her hand once again. She was stopping her right there.

"Kesha, while I appreciate the effort on your part, I already said-"

"Miah really, it might be worth it to just at least go look! I mean, look at the place!" she pushed the same button and the picture of Friendship, Maine appeared on the screen once again. Mariah looked at it. It really was beautiful…chastising herself, she shook her head.

"Yes, it's gorgeous but that's not the problem. The house itself is probably like a deathtrap. And it'd be very expensive to fix up; especially if nobody has lived there in so long…I just don't think it'd be safe for Cera…"

Kesha pushed the same button again. Another screen popped up, this time for a realtor. She pointed to the picture of an older man on the screen. The name under it read Donald Larsen, Realtor.

"This guy," Kesha began, "Is the one in charge of the property right now. He was the one who worked with Blake's grandpa when he was thinking of fixing the house up. Obviously that didn't happen for whatever reason, but this guy is still in business and still in charge! We could call him up, get all of the details of what needs to be done, and maybe arrange to at least go look…"

Mariah stared at her friend, dumbfounded. She had always known that Kesha was resourceful, but really? She had researched this whole thing out in less than twenty four hours! She'd found the exact location of the house, the name of the person in charge, and even a job for Mariah! Mariah knew that she shouldn't be surprised, but at the same time, she couldn't believe the amount of information her friend was throwing at her. Not to mention, she still had one major question for Kesha.

"Why are you going to all this trouble for this house?" Mariah asked, looking at her friend. "Why do you want us to live there so bad? I mean, you're not even gonna live there and I'm gonna be even farther away from you than I am now. I guess I just don't understand your fascination with it."

Kesha sat there for moment, seemingly contemplating what Mariah had asked her. It was a perfectly legitimate question! Why was Kesha so set on getting Mariah to move into this house? Was she just looking at it as a potential adventure for herself, or did she really have both Mariah and Cera's best interest at heart?

After a few moments, Kesha looked at Mariah, the expression on her face sincere.

"I just…have a feeling Miah. I feel like this is the place both you and Cera need to go." Kesha looked down, her cheeks turning slightly pink. Mariah smiled a bit. Kesha was clearly uncomfortable with all of this sentimental talk, but she was still getting her point across. She continued.

"You guys have both been through so much; you need a fresh start. I know it's gonna be a pain in the ass getting everything ready, but in end, I feel like there are more pros than cons. I mean, the place is gorgeous, it's a small town, I've got information on the schools there if you wanna look later on," Kesha gestured to the computer, "You won't have a house payment, ever. Once you pay the property taxes, you're done. There's a job in your field available…"

"Well, not really," Mariah interrupted, "I know nothing about boating and shit." Both women looked at each other, and suddenly burst into a fit of laughter.

"Miah!" Kesha gasped between laughs, "I just had the funniest image ever! You! *gasp* attempting to *cough* sail a goddamn boooat!" This caused the giggle fit to intensify a bit, Mariah slapping the table. It really was a hilarious image. Mariah had never ever been an outdoor girl and this was definitely a place that thrived in the outdoors. It was hilarious!

Mariah really didn't know what had brought this laughing-fit on; they had been having a perfectly serious discussion a few moments ago. Now, they were both laughing so hard, it was drawing the attention of the people around them. Two older women looked at them in annoyance. A man cleared his throat loudly and re-adjusted his paper.

Mariah sputtered and coughed trying to contain herself, shushing Kesha in process. Kesha covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes wet from laughing so hard. Mariah felt strangely refreshed. With all of the sadness, grief, and stress the last few days had brought, it was nice to have a really good laugh with her best friend. It was something both of them had needed.

Composing herself, Mariah wiped her hands under her eyes, tears of laughter making her cheeks wet. Kesha was doing the same thing, smiling from ear to ear.

Stretching slightly, Kesha leaned over addressing Mariah once again.

"Seriously though," she said, "At least go look at Whipstaff. I'll even fly up there with you! We can book the tickets right now!" Mariah shook her head.

"Kesha, I don't think-"

Kesha shook her head. She wasn't going to give up on this easily. Like Mariah, she was tenacious when it came to getting what she wanted.

"Worst case scenario, you decide not to do it. We're out 300 bucks for the plane tickets and back to square one. It's an option Miah, and probably one of the most financially sensible. It's worth a shot. Please?"

Mariah looked at Kesha, her own reflection clearly visible in her bright green eyes. She had made some good points. Mariah really liked the look of Friendship; it seemed like a place Marlene would've loved. There was a job option for her, granted she wasn't too wild about it, but part of relocating was also changing jobs. She couldn't run a major magazine long-distance, even using something like Skype.

Not to mention, if she went there and loved the town, but hated Whipstaff, she could always look for other houses in the area. It was a small town in Maine for god's sake; cost of living there couldn't be that much.

Sighing, Mariah leaned back in the booth, her decision made.

"Alright Kesha, you win. Go ahead and book two plane tickets to Banger International for either tomorrow or the next day. I would also find a hotel since we'll probably be there for two nights. I really don't think we need to be there any longer than that. We'll need to rent a car as well."

Kesha's grinned went from wide to impossible as she grabbed the computer, turning it towards herself.

"Miah, I think this is really going to be great," her friend gushed as she began furiously typing on the computer. "And for the record, I'm not your assistant Melissa or whatever the hell her name is. You can find us a hotel and rental car since I'm booking the plane tickets."

Mariah stuck her tongue out at Kesha, something she used to do quite often when they were children, and reached for her Blackberry. She really couldn't' believe she had agreed to do this. Yes, there were a lot of positive aspects, but the house still freaked her out. If they couldn't make it livable for Cera, then of course Whipstaff Manor was out of the question.

Both women worked in silence, it finally being broken by Kesha.

"Alright, plane tickets are booked. We leave tomorrow morning at 10am and we'll arrive around 2pm our time, though it'll be 4pm there due to the time change." Mariah nodded.

"Okay. We'll be staying at the Friendship Holiday Inn for two nights. I've booked us a room and the hotel itself even provides a rental car service." Kesha leaned forward.

"Really? That's niiiice!" Mariah nodded. "Yeah, so all of that will be ready for us once we get there. Now I need to contact that Donald Larsen person…"

"Oh yeah!" Kesha pulled up his website on the computer once again as Mariah quickly typed his number into her phone. She would call him later that evening and hopefully arrange a meeting soon after they arrived.

Mariah couldn't help but feel a little unnerved. This was all happening so fast, she wasn't sure she was making the right decision. Kesha was right though, in the sense that the worst that could happen is she didn't like it and they would be out the money spent on traveling.

Mariah decided she could live with losing a couple hundred dollars, should the outcome prove to be as such. Kesha was right, it was worth it to look and though she wasn't anywhere NEAR in love with Whipstaff itself, she WAS in love with Friendship. She could really see herself and Cera being happy there, regardless of the job and regardless of the fact that Mariah wasn't still one hundred percent sure where they were going to live.

They women then packed up their belongings and made their way to the counter to pay the bill and leave. Kesha continued to chatter excitedly about some of the other tiny tidbits she had found out about Friendship and Whipstaff. Mariah wasn't altogether listening as they walked out the door and to the car. Her thoughts were elsewhere as they got into the car and began to drive back to Bev's house.

They would have to inform Bev of what was going on. Mariah knew she probably wouldn't approve of her taking Cera so far away from everything she knew. She didn't even want to contemplate the type of argument her mother would put up. In the end however, whether they liked it or not, it was Mariah's decision.

Her thoughts drifted back to Marlene's letter, and this only set the mission further in stone. Marlene had trusted Mariah with Cera and she knew she would have her sister's full support on her decision to relocate.

She only hoped that she wasn't walking into a nightmare because she'd had enough nightmares in the past few days to last her a lifetime.

XXXX

_END CHAPTER THREE_


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